Rare Indeed
by Gnash1
Summary: AU where Damon meets Elena first. This story explores the possible changes to character development with Damon to influence Elena and vice versa from the very beginning.
1. Chapter 1

"Perfect love is rare indeed -  
for to be a lover will require that you continually have  
the subtlety of the very wise, the flexibility of the child,  
the sensitivity of the artist, the understanding of the philosopher,  
the acceptance of the saint, the tolerance of the scholar  
and the fortitude of the certain."  
~Leo Buscaglia

**Chapter 1**

He had been watching her for the better part of a fortnight. He waited impatiently for her to trip herself up, betray by some gesture, expression or action that he was right. He had been ready to pounce almost from day one, eager even. But so far, there was nothing. He found her to be a fascinating creature, all in all. Watching someone, unobserved, day and night for that long gave real perspective to a person's true nature. So far, all he could find was that she was dedicated to her family and friends, fiercely almost. She was not nearly so dedicated to her grades or classwork, if the fact that she rarely cracked a book was any indication. She spent every night sitting at her window seat, writing in a book, a diary perhaps. She didn't eat properly and drank entirely too much coffee in his opinion. Considering his own _drinking_ issues, he grimaced at his thoughts. _Hypocrite_.

Sitting under that window, in the darkness, he heard a sound that changed everything. Sounds of distress found the way to him from the window upstairs. He could hear the soft heartrending sounds of a soul in pain. Tracing the sound quietly, he perched in a tree near her window and found that his assumption was correct. The girl made those sounds lying alone in her bed. The sounds were hushed and painful to hear. Perhaps she was mourning the loss of her parents. Watching her, in the darkness as she sobbed out her grief, he felt as if someone had inserted a tire jack into his chest and was slowly and methodically expanding the space there. He found himself wishing he could bring comfort, but he knew better. He was not a comforter, but a killer. He did not bring ease, but inflict pain. Racing off into the night, attempting to escape the memory of the girl's cries, he knew that she couldn't possibly be who he had suspected she was. _**That**__ girl had never cried for anyone or anything but herself in her entire existence._ No, this Elena was something else entirely. Damon would leave her be.

Two days without watching the girl and he was restless, angry and had cleaned out the entire liquor stock in the boarding house, which was saying something. Two waitresses danced together, giggling happily, in the far corner of the drawing room, near the fire. Both girls were long overdue to be home, both had blood on their uniforms and neither noticed. He had compelled them to enjoy his company, to not be afraid, and to feed his hunger with eagerness. A full stomach didn't necessarily mean he was satisfied, though. All he could think about was a certain face, a certain voice, a sweet scent that he couldn't quite place.

Stefan, his younger brother, wandered into the drawing room. The scent of blood filled the room. Damon knew Stefan wouldn't be staying long. "Damon, what are you doing, bringing them here?" Stefan sounded weary and frustrated. _Good._

"I wanted company, little brother. What's it to you?"

"Company?" Stefan rolled his eyes. "Two drunk, compelled waitresses is your idea of company?"

"I was on the run. It was all they had. Ever heard of fast food?" Damon raised an eyebrow at his little brother's lack of humor. "Oh, very well." Damon headed across the room intending to send the girls home with a story that lacked him, this house or his brother altogether.

In a flash, Stefan was between him and the girls. "No, wait. Don't kill them." He sounded desperate. Damon knew that Stefan preferred to feed from animals, rather than be around human blood, but he had brought his meals home before. Usually Stefan just stayed away. This time was somehow different.

Curious, Damon played along, appearing to consider. "Again, I ask - What's it to you?"

"I just think that Mystic Falls is not the place to start up with unexplained deaths and disappearances. The people in this little town are not stupid. They have seen it all before and I'm sure they have just as long a memory as we do." Damon searched his brother's eyes and found only sincerity there. Stefan wanted to stay here. Coincidentally, so did Damon….for now.

Sidestepping his brother, he dismissed the girls, feeding them a story about a wild dog. Both of them gave him a happy kiss on the cheek and they were on their way. Turning to Stefan he said "Spoilsport. You're worse than the uncle everyone has to tolerate every year at Christmas. I get you year round. Yay, me." With a world weary sigh, he left the room.

Stefan's passion concerning remaining in Mystic Falls should've been a point of concern for Damon, but he didn't have the patience to work it out right now. Pushing it aside, he focused on more important matters. _Now….how to meet the girl, talk to her…_.

**Please review. Let me know what you think. Should I continue or save my efforts for bigger/better?**

**Necessary disclaimer: I own no part of the Vampire Diaries or it's characters. This is a work of fan fiction.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Elena headed for the coffee shop after school. She went there for a good latte and some company. Lately, at home it was just her. Jeremy, her younger brother, was always out with his friends. Jenna was great, but seemed to tiptoe around the place. Elena was used to bustle, noise. Joe Perks' was the perfect place for bustle.

As she stepped in, she headed for the counter and quickly surveyed the room in search of familiar faces. There were none, aside from the staff. Booths were filled, which was fine. She liked the larger chairs near the fireplace. It was October, after all and the chill was hanging in the air expectantly, asking that people acknowledge it.

She ordered her latte and waited, glancing at a magazine until it was done. Joe's served their coffee in thick, colorful earthenware cups, another thing that she loved. Coffee in hand, back pack and purse across one shoulder, she headed for the chairs. She knew she had seen one open. She was behind and had at least three chapters of Sense and Sensibility to read before a quiz in English Lit tomorrow. Her grades were abysmal at best and she kept telling herself that it should matter more. English was her best subject and she was floating a C-. Tragic.

Elena rounded the corner into the back room of the café with her eyes on her cup, trying not to spill. She stopped to take a sip and glanced up into the room and noted the one open chair. The others were occupied. The closest matching chair was taken by….well….the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on. He appeared to be tall and lean considering the amount of leg stretched out before him. He wore a snug black shirt and jeans and had longish black hair. He was gazing into the fire, lost in thought, it appeared. She wondered what color his eyes were. Just then he glanced up and away, past her. Blue eyes, crystal blue eyes. Nice.

She moved toward the chair, to within two steps of sitting down when she tripped suddenly and crashed into a heap at Beautiful's feet. The cup, sturdy and thick, plunked on the carpeted floor spilling her coffee. Her purse, half open from paying for her coffee, went flying, the entire contents skittering across the floor. Her back pack, full and heavy, flew up, over and into his leg. He made a noise of surprise.

"Oh, wow. Are you okay?" He was leaning over her. Wow, he moved fast. He offered her a hand up and gave her back the book bag that had assaulted him. "Oh, God. I am so sorry." She was stooping to gather her purse contents. Lipstick, pen, wallet, stuffing each piece into the bag again. A blush had spread across her skin. She hated blushing, but seemed to do it all the time. "I'm usually not so clumsy, I swear." He was helping, picking up things that had come from her purse. The people around them watched in interest, but he was the only one to help. He handed her some change, a package of Kleenex her mom made her keep in her bag and a half eaten pack of Rollos. Beautiful grinned when he gave her that last item. He then picked up the empty, thankfully unbroken coffee cup and disappeared around the corner.

By the time he returned, she knew he was coming back because a book laid in the chair where he had gotten up, she was settled safely in her chair. Her copy of the Jane Austen novel was out and she hoped she could do no more damage. No coffee, but that was alright. The fire made up for it.

A deep voice behind her said "I think this is yours."

Beautiful had replaced her coffee. He probably had a cracked shin bone from her backpack, but still had gotten her another cup of coffee.

"Wow, thanks, you're very kind, but that would've belonged to the clumsy chick who sprawled in here a minute ago. She isn't here right now. The floor swallowed her whole. It was all very tragic, really…" Her embarrassed tone made him laugh.

"Well, since she's gone. How about you take it?" Beautiful had a beautiful smile too. She had heard that expression about someone having a "sparkling smile" and never understood it until now. _Wow. That should be illegal._

She smiled back at him and took the coffee. "Thank you."

He settled back into his chair. "So, the suspense is killing me. Did I break it?"

"Break what exactly?" One eyebrow lifted. _Oh dear God. Eyebrow action too. Somebody get this guy a pair of Jockey shorts and a photo shoot._

He burst into spontaneous laughter….._What the hell?_

"Um…" She turned puzzled eyes on him for a second before she went on. "Your left leg. I saw Clumsy Chick's bag smash into you. That bag probably weighs about fifty pounds. Are you alright?"

"Oh, no harm done. That fall did look painful, though. Are you alright?"

"Your still confusing me with Clumsy Chick," She grinned. "But yeah. I'm fine."

"To avoid any further confusion, my name is Damon." He extended his hand. She took it and a tingle trailed up her arm leaving gooseflesh in its wake. _Finger meet light socket. _ "I'm Elena. It's nice to injure…I mean meet…" She pretended to be testing the word out, "Yeah…MEET you."

"It's nice to meet you, Elena."

They laughed and talked for the better part of an hour. She found that he had an uncle that lived in Mystic Falls and he was visiting with his younger brother for an uncertain amount of time.

Her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. Caroline was texting to ask if she was coming to cheerleading practice. She had forgotten. She answered that she had homework and wouldn't be making it tonight, which was true.

"I guess I should go." She started to gather her things. "It was nice to meet you, Damon."

He stood as she did and gave her a warm smile. _Good southern manners too. Wow, he's killing me. _ "Nice to meet you, too, Elena."

**Please take the time to review with the link below. I always appreciate the feedback. Thank you for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Her internal dialog alone was enough to keep him coming back. His kind could read human minds, usually with a bit of effort. But she radiated her thoughts in all directions at close proximity. The girl might as well have been shouting her thoughts into a megaphone for someone like him. Interesting. This was something new. He had even laughed aloud once. Rookie mistake, but the dry humor had been more than he could take. He would have to work out how to either shut it out, or shut his mouth. He also felt not even a twinge of conscience at the little shove he had given her, which resulted in the embarrassed heap that she became. Vampire speed allowed him to use one gentle shove to topple her at his feet starting a conversation, and his own opportunity to be the hero for a change.

Stefan would argue that it took more than timing to be "the hero", but he knew better. All that really mattered was the girl's perception of events not what had actually gone on….

Elena really was fascinating and she made him laugh. Any real association with a human, beyond his own baser needs, was something he usually avoided. Things got complicated. He was only investigating, though. He only wanted to understand who she was, why she looked so much like _her_.

The following day, as school let out, Elena again headed for the coffee shop. It was a daily visit for her after class. She told herself she was not looking for anyone or anything in particular and would _so_ not be disappointed if the same "anyone in particular" was not there.

She ordered her coffee and headed for a spot near the fire. She was not disappointed today after all. He sat in the same spot wearing a chocolate brown sweater and blue jeans. Again the only chair was the one next to him. She headed toward it with her things. Half a dozen or so steps away, his blue eyes came up and he held up a warning hand. "Wait, look out for that…" He pointed at the floor in front of her and she saw nothing. "Well, yeah, there's actually nothing there but carpet, I suppose. But that's all it took before so you should be careful." Beautiful was teasing her and she laughed in relief. _He does have a name, you know…..Yes, I know, but mine suits him better. _Now she was answering herself. _Time to increase the lithium again._

"I could just cut to the chase and throw my backpack at you. It really would save us both some time and trouble." He grinned, a crooked little grin, in response as she sank into the chair.

By Friday, Elena had shared coffee with Damon every day that week. They laughed, talked and teased one another. He liked to see what would annoy her most, or make her blush- whichever came first. She had yet to find any buttons she could push with him, but she kept up her search, smiling to herself. She still called him "Beautiful" in her head because it seemed ironic now. He was still beautiful, but the more she knew of him, the more she knew there was more to him.

Friday afternoon she found his button entirely by accident.

They were at Joe Perks', closer to the fire because of the cold. Elena hated to be cold. She was telling Damon about Mr. Saltzman. He was her new history teacher and she had a theory that he was a werewolf. This made Damon chuckle.

"Why exactly do you think this Mr. Saltzman is a werewolf, Elena?"

"Because he has the hairiest knuckles on the planet. Hairy knuckles just don't naturally occur in nature." She stood and took his hand, turning it over. A smug smile spread across her face. "I've made my point." He most definitely did not have hairy knuckles.

He laughed and told her that one pair of hairless knuckles didn't make her case.

Just then, around the corner into the room came her new lab partner, also a guy.

"Hey!" She laughingly went up to him.

"I'm trying to make a point here." She reached and took the newcomer's free hand. She turned it over and turned back to Damon. "See? Stefan's not got hairy knuckles either. It's just not natural."

But Damon didn't laugh. His eyes had narrowed.

"Oh, sorry." She looked between the two of them. "Damon, this is my new lab partner, Stefan…"

Damon interrupted. "We've met." She would swear he was shooting daggers at Stefan.

"Elena, Damon is my brother."

_Oh. My. God. Beautiful and Hotness are brothers._

Damon was up, on his feet in a heartbeat headed across the room at them wearing a scowl. She was still holding Stefan's hand, surprised. She let it go, patting it once.

"Sorry. We were talking about Mr. Saltzman. I think he's a werewolf." Stefan gave a shout of laughter.

"The hairy knuckles, now I get it."

"Stefan, Elena was just getting ready to go." He turned his back on his brother. To Elena he said "Please, let me walk you to your car."

She was doing no such thing, but it was getting late. She really should be going. She smiled at Stefan and shrugged. She went to gather her things and Damon took her arm of all things, wanting to herd her toward the door. She stopped before she rounded the corner.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She called to Stefan and he smiled back at her.

"Study. We have a test." He waved goodbye. Was that concern she read on his face?

This walking to the car thing was something new. But it occurred to Elena that Damon seemed to want her away from his brother ASAP.

When they reached her car, Damon turned her to face him. He looked into her eyes, reaching, pushing. "You will not be attracted to my brother."

"I will not be…" She started out sounding as if she would repeat the command, completing the compulsion. But then she stopped and sputtered into laughter. "Wow, Emperor Imperious the First. Sorry sweetheart, but that's not up to you."

A failed compulsion made no sense. No human could resist that. He put a hand on each shoulder and shook her just a bit. "What the hell are you?"

She pushed both his hands from her shoulders. "What I am, Damon, is annoyed." The single eyebrow went up. She had one of her own and wasn't afraid to use it. She didn't appear to be afraid of anything, actually. Up to and including him.

She got into her car and rolled down the window for a parting shot. "One more thing. The whole eyes thing, when you told me not to like your brother…." She spun a finger in front of her eye. "Interesting change there…." She knew? She knew what he had been trying to do and was mocking him? His expression grew wary. "Your eyes changed from blue to green."

He understood the reference. Green eyed monster. Jealousy. Alright, maybe just a bit. He watched her tail lights as she sped away and wondered how he was going to fix this, and what the hell she was, because she most definitely wasn't human.

**Thank you for reading. I hope you're enjoying. Please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The sound of clapping found its way to Damon's ears from the trees a few yards away. "That was quite a show." Stefan stepped out and leaned against a tree.

"Back off, brother." Damon was still angry, annoyed, irritated and aroused. Aroused? And where did that come from? Elena was a practically a child.

"I can't have you offing my classmates, Damon. Leave her alone."

"Oh good grief, Stefan, did you not just see what happened?" He gestured to where she had been standing. "I've never seen that happen. I'm not entirely sure I could "off" her if I wanted to."

"Because your compulsion failed? Maybe she's just been exposed to vervain or something…." Vervain was to vampires what wolfs bane was to werewolves. Nature's way of protecting humans.

"But there's more to it than that. There's also the way she transmits like a beacon." His statement got a strange look from Stefan. "Please. I have heard radio stations in Chicago with a weaker signal."

"I don't usually go around trying to read…" Damon interrupted. "That's what I'm saying, Stefan. I don't have to TRY. She's practically shouting. It just rolls off of her in waves. She called you "Hotness" in there. You mean you didn't hear that?" Stefan shook his head.

"It must be the Bugs Bunny diet you insist on. A single syringe full of human blood and you would be wearing ear plugs, trust me."

"Why would she call me "Hotness"?"

"Apparently she has nicknames for men in her acquaintance." Damon looked uncomfortable and Stefan grinned. He found himself slammed against the tree, Damon holding him by the throat.

Stefan's grin grew wider.

"Stay away from her, little brother."

"I can't, Damon. Assigned lab partner, remember?" Damon let him go. "You just keep in mind that we are not repeating history. Yes, she looks like Katherine, but that's where it ends. Appearances. So just leave it alone."

Looks like Katherine? Stefan pictured Elena. She did. Hmmmm…the hair was different, but only in texture. Otherwise she did very closely resemble Katherine. How had he missed that? He began to understand his brother's fury.

"Listen, Damon, I'll do hands off if you will." Use leverage where you found it. That was Stefan's motto, especially in dealings with his brother. Stefan really just wanted to make sure the girl survived her acquaintance with the older Salvatore.

"Fair enough." Damon turned and headed to his car knowing his brother would not break his word when he gave it. He was not so reliable, but Stefan knew that too.

Stefan called across the parking lot at his retreating back, "Just out of curiosity, what does she call you?"

Damon didn't turn around, just kept walking. "Beautiful. She calls me Beautiful."

Damon got into his car and drove away, in search of a bar in this one horse town. Three blocks away, he could still hear Stefan laughing.

Damon settled into a creaky seat at the bar. After three glasses containing three fingers of bourbon (they should just call that two hands of bourbon. Nine fingers after all. Close enough.) Damon glanced at the guy next to him. He was staring into his own bourbon, lost in the amber liquid. He was hunched over and the smell of alcohol was all around him. That's when Damon noticed the hairy knuckles.

"Are you Saltzman, by any chance?" He asked the stranger.

"Yeah, okay. Did I forget to take off the HELLO MY NAME IS sticker they didn't give me at work this morning?"

Sarcasm. Nicely done.

Hazel eyes turned on him. The history teacher straightened a bit in his chair, eyes running over Damon's face warily. Damon heard his heart rate increase exponentially. He looked back at Saltzman with a furrowed brow. He had not ever seen this guy, but appeared to register a human adrenal response anyway. He usually didn't get that until _after_ he bared fang. _Damn it. More mysteries. Grrrrrrr._

The stranger held out his hand. Fear, and yet he offered his hand. "I'm Alaric Saltzman, history teacher extraordinaire."

Damon feigned a smile and shook it offering his name.

"How did you know?" Alaric asked, turning back to his glass.

"A description of you I heard recently."

"So my legend proceeds me already. Fascinating. I've been here a week."

"I have a friend that's one of your students. She told me today that she was pretty sure you were a werewolf." Alaric's head whipped around. He didn't laugh. He blinked twice, recovering.

"Why would anyone think…." Increased heart rate again.

"Hairy knuckles." Damon pointed to Alaric's hand. "She said those don't occur in nature." Damon couldn't help but grin.

Alaric Saltzman did chuckle then.

"Who is your friend?"

"Just a girl.." Damon did not want this dangerous stranger associating Elena with him for any reason.

"So, is she right?" Damon took a drink, pretending it was a casual question.

Alaric drained his glass and turned on his seat to Damon. He stood. He was over six feet, over thirty five and for the first time since the conversation began, he smiled at Damon. His teeth were bared just a bit.

"Come the next full moon, I'll let you know."

It sounded strangely like a threat. Were wolves and vampires were natural enemies. Damon couldn't have been more thrilled if the Red Cross had opened a blood bank next door. ("Yes, I'll need three bags of A positive and four bags of plasma, one on the rocks. And do you deliver? Because a delivery in ten gets you twenty.") He now had something to focus on besides snarky little girls with golden brown eyes and entirely too much attitude.

Alaric had begun to move away, but Damon's hand shot out to the taller man's shoulder to stop him.

So they might try to kill each other later. No reason they couldn't be friends now.

"Let me buy you a drink, Alaric."

Alaric turned back, eyes surprised. He appeared to consider for a moment, then shook his head sadly. "I had reached my limit." Then he grinned. "You, however, can buy me as many as you like." He sank back onto the barstool.

Two hours and three bottles of top shelf bourbon later, they were both glassy eyed and swung between laughing and pensive by turns as drunks usually do. Damon was calling his new friend Ric now. Ric said that his friends and drunken acquaintances called him that. "Alaric" had too many syllables to mix well with bourbon.

**Thanks for reading. Please review.**

Author's note:

I always thought Alaric would make a better werewolf than vampire hunter. He always seemed to lack the conviction about killing vamps that a vampire hunter would really need. (He did, after all become best friends with one of them.) He also seemed to have a bit of true brutality beneath the loveable façade. Alaric is one of my favorite characters, and I want to remain true to who he is, if not _what_. And since this is my little universe, I took creative license here. Tell me what you think….


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

After three days at the coffee shop with no sign of her, Damon had had enough. Angry or not, she _would_ talk to him. One day should've been enough to cool off, maybe two. Three days without Elena was grating his nerves too finely for it to be allowed to continue.

He parked the Alfa Romeo on the street in front of her house. He could've run here faster, but was playing the human, so he could hardly tell her he was just jogging by. He headed up the walk and knocked on the door working out how he was going to gain entry to her home, make her talk to him again.

A woman opened the door that he did not recognize. She had red-brownish hair and her eyes were the same golden brown that Elena's were. Jenna.

"Hi, you must be Jenna." Damon started swiftly, uncertain if the woman would close the door in his face.

"Yes?" She looked wary, intrigued, but wary.

"I'm a friend of your niece, Elena. I haven't seen her in a few days and I wondered if I might speak with her?" He offered the best charming smile he had and heard Jenna's heart beat quicken.

"Ah, yes. I don't know if now would be a good time…" Her voice trailed off as he heard Elena's voice from behind the door. "It's alright, Jenna."

The woman opened the door wide and shrugged, smiling up at him. She turned and walked away noting the way this newcomer was looking at her niece with mild curiosity.

Elena had been crying, recently enough that her face was still wet with tears. His knee jerk reaction was twofold. He would decimate whoever caused this and he would hold her. He managed to stop himself short before pushing against the barrier the doorway represented. Damon would not be able to enter without an invitation. Smashing up against an invisible barrier was not an easy thing to explain to a human, so he held himself still just beyond the doorway with greater restraint than he had used in a century. Damon and restraint were basically strangers.

"Elena, are you alright?" A terrible thought occurred to him. Was she injured?

"No, Damon. Not really." Fresh tears streaked down her face, her eyes red, her nose pink. The tire jack that he had felt expanding his chest the night under her window while she cried returned with a vengeance.

"May I come in, Elena?" He growled.

"That depends." The girl looked up at him, then. He saw in her eyes the same expression he had seen that night in the parking lot for a moment, then it was gone replaced by tears again. "Are you still angry with me?"

"Of course not!" Exasperation and disbelief in his voice and face must've convinced her.

"Then, yes, Damon, please come in." At last. Other creatures came and went in most places, limited by nothing more than their own curiosity and physical barriers. Vampires were forbidden to enter homes unless invited. This made really any invitation precious. Most of his kind would easily compel what they wanted, he had done it many times himself. Knowing that Elena was not subject to this type of influence, and yet still getting the desired invitation filled him with triumph.

He crossed the threshold, closing the door behind him and sat next to her on the stairs. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her head onto his chest. Her shoulders shook and he ran a hand comfortingly down her back for a moment.

"You're killing me Honey. Tell me. Tell me what I can do." But she only sobbed harder.

Jenna rounded the corner, concern on her face at the sound to see them sitting there together. Damon met her eyes over the sobbing girl and they shared a moment of understanding. Jenna nodded, stepped forward and ran a hand down Elena's shaking shoulders and turned back to her room without a word.

Jenna's expression led Damon to believe that Elena just needed to cry, so he sat there, holding her until the tears petered out and silence filled the room. He stood and lifted her into his arms then, a few steps and he was placing her on the couch. He sat down beside her and pulled her back over, against him. She had a tissue and was going about mopping her face, her nose.

"I look terrible."

"Ghastly." He agreed, smiling indulgently.

"So you're stalking me, now?"

"I hardly think finding a single Gilbert family in the phone book and turn by turn directions on my cell phone qualify as "stalking"….." He rolled his eyes, grinning. She laughed. _Good._

"I was worried." He said, honestly. _Wait, since when am I being honest?_

It was then that Damon noticed the quietness of the room. His own internal dialogue made him notice silence from her.

She shrugged one delicate shoulder and said "The first day, I was angry. The others were different. My uncle died."

"Oh no." He pulled held her again. "I'm sorry, Elena." By his count that would be three family members in six months lost to her.

"I am a hypocrite, really, crying like this."

Questioning blue eyes met her brown ones.

"John and I had a complicated relationship. He was very..um…. commanding, I guess you could say. After Mom and Dad died, he fully expected he would be assigned custody of both of us. When it didn't happen that way, he absolutely tore into Jenna and I overheard. He told her that she couldn't protect Jeremy and I the way he could. She was grossly incompetent and should walk away." Elena rubbed her hands together. "I interrupted them. I told him to get out of our home and not come back." The silence drug out around them. "Those were the last words I spoke to him, and he did exactly as I told him to. He won't ever be here again and I won't ever be able to take it back. He was irritating and frustrating and I'm glad we have Jenna. He wanted to take that away. But he wasn't supposed to die. He was family." The tears were there again, just at the corners. Damon tipped her face to him and wiped them away.

"Elena, I have been around a long time. You'll have to trust me when I tell you that all relationships are complicated, some more than others. But your uncle knew you loved him, no matter what words were exchanged." She made a sound of denial. "No, listen. You had just been through a trauma. You were trying to protect what you had established as someone you could rely on, hang on to. Your Uncle John would've understood that almost immediately." He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She was forever putting it there herself, so he did the same.

"You really are too good to be true, aren't you?" She hadn't meant to say it aloud. He pushed her hair back for her and looked so serious about what he was doing. So perfect, that it just slipped out.

"Yes." Something flickered in his eyes for a minute. "You're absolutely right."

She looked away and noticed the time. She gave a gusty sigh. "I need to get ready. The funeral is in an hour."

"How about I come with you?"

"To a funeral? You're not serious."

"I am. I'll even drive you."

xxxxx

"Oh. My. Gawwwdd!"

Damon laughed at her. She was walking in excited circles around his car.

"This is yours. Seriously?" She looked at him suspiciously.

"You like, huh?" She was practically buzzing with excitement. He would take that as a yes.

"You're kidding…." She walked around again, shaking her head.

"Elena, it's a car. Just get in."

"Damon, you should be so ashamed. This isn't just a car. This is the 4C. I've only read about it. Not actually seen one." She was right. It was an Alpha Romeo 4C.

"I could give you the specs on this thing in my sleep." She sighed into the black leather seat.

"Let's hear it then." _Fascinating girl._

"Well, at the risk of sounding like a car geek…." She used her best, professional voice. "The Alpha Romeo 4C has a carbon fibre structure, front and rear aluminium crash boxes and a hybrid rear structure comprised of both steel and aluminum. The entire structure weighs a mere 85 kilograms. The lighter weight allows for better handling and more increased performance. The engine is a 4 cylinder, injected 1750cc Turbopetrol engine that tops out at 0 to 62 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds. Most innovative of all is the gearbox. A newly designed Twin Clutch Transmission contributes to smoother handling by decreasing the lag time between gears. Basically while one gear is engaged, the second gear is already internally selected and waiting for the engine to reach the necessary RPMs for the next gear."

"Um….the whole "car geek" thing? Yeah, that ship has sailed. Where exactly did you learn all of that? Shouldn't you be excited by shoes or something?"

"Hey, I like a good shoe sale too." Elena smiled, her eyes closed as she listened to the engine wind out. "Matt was all about Car & Driver. In order to keep us from speaking two separate languages I listened. He could talk it constantly if I let him, but this one is the only car I really paid much attention to. For me, it was love at first sight."

"I haven't heard you talk about Matt."

"Ah…" She sat up then, uncomfortable. "ex-boyfriend."

"So he dumped you, huh?"

She swatted his arm, taking no note of the white knuckled grip he had on the steering wheel. "No, he didn't dump me. I dumped him, actually." She turned to look out the window.

"Why, if it upsets you so much?" No one, not even Matt had really asked her that question.

"I guess it upsets me because I hurt him." She shrugged. "But after my parents," her voice broke for a second. "Sorry. After my parents were gone everything seemed different somehow. Matt tried to be there for me, but he always made me feel like a broken toy or something that either needed fixing, or storing away. We were together for two years, and then it was just done."

"If he didn't make you happy, what difference does it make if you hurt him?" He was genuinely puzzled now.

"But it's not his fault that I changed and he didn't. He's still all about football and college and having a good time. I'm just not about those things anymore."

"What are you about, then, Elena?"

"I don't have that answer yet, Damon. But I'm working on it." She turned to the question back on him. "What about you? What are you about?"

Damon was quiet for a moment, thinking. Then he shrugged, grinned to keep it light. "Death and destruction, mostly."

"And nice cars?"

"And nice cars."

He stood by her at the funeral while she cried. Regardless of the small clusters of people standing together, all the heartbeats, tears and death in this place, Damon stood by her because she needed him. He had not been needed, necessary at all to anyone, in several lifetimes….if ever at all. That and the fact that she had chosen to allow him to take her. Him. No one else.

He refused to consider how a little girl's tears might have undone him.

He would wonder about why he couldn't penetrate her thoughts, why the megaphone had been silenced, later.

**Thank you for reading. Reviews are appreciated, always.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The following afternoon Damon was knocking on Elena's door again. She had taken one last day from school and so she asked him to stop by. When he arrived, he found that her aunt was gone and she had some movies she thought they would watch together. She wore jeans and a t-shirt and had popped some popcorn.

They sat together then on the couch watching a movie that set his eye roll mechanism in motion and she spotted it right away. They then spent the next hour discussing movies while the awful thing played in the background. He was an old movies kind of guy, funny how that happens when you get to be a certain age….

Attempting to defend his position, Damon said "I don't mind an occasional romance, don't get me wrong. But this modern stuff with cell phones and emails and PDA's is just ridiculous. People don't really fall in love like that. There's just more to it than that."

"But Damon, people have to connect any way they can these days. If it's by the internet, then they are just using what's available to them."

Damon happened to know several vampires that used certain advertisement websites to gain unwary victims. It was just dangerous, but he couldn't tell her that without sounding like her father or grandfather or something.

"They should just go to coffee shops and look for clumsy chicks." He shrugged then, laughing as she threw a pillow at him. "Did I tell you that that happens to me all the time? I have women falling at my feet on a regular basis, just never in quite the cute little heap you made." Another pillow was swung at his head. "What? It got my attention. That was the point, right? Original, I'll give you that…." He had the pillows now and she would have to fight him for them. "What's wrong, girlie? Outta ammo?"

He wagged one of the pillows at her and she flew at him from across the couch lunging and laughing. He caught her midair against his chest. They stared at one another as the laughter died away and then he kissed her. The contact took his breath away. She was pressed against his chest, her arms around him, and her hands found their way across his back and up to the back of his neck while he thought he would go slowly insane. Kissing her was like flying into the sun. He finally understood the story of Icarus in a whole new light. It wasn't the joy of flying that had lost Icarus his freedom, it had been the heat and beauty of the sun.

Panting, he pulled away, half afraid he would frighten her and half afraid himself. Her eyes were soft and made her look a little lost.

Elena was watching as he attempted to put himself back together.

"Listen, I really should go." He was up and grabbing his jacket when he heard her say quietly "You're running, aren't you?" _Perceptive for one so young._

She was watching him closely.

_Ah, screw it. I've never been good at noble, anyway. _He crossed the room and took her up and into his arms again. Like the proverbial moth, he went up in flames in her light.

He did manage to keep his hands to himself, though. _Idiot._ But just barely.

When Elena glanced at the clock and pointed out with satisfying regret, that her family would be starting to get home soon he got the chance to watch her reassemble herself. While she was brushing hair and straightening clothes, Elena pointed out that she was supposed to cook dinner for the night and asked if he would like to stay.

He followed her to the kitchen interested in seeing this side of her. Plus the opportunity to watch her stop and touch her lips every now and then was nice.

XXXXXXXXXX

Elena handed him a pan and asked him to fill it with water for her. The pasta needed to cook. He turned, adjusted the water and a few seconds later let out a bellow of pain as the scent of searing flesh filled the room. She rushed to the sink thinking to turn it off and help him. That was when she noticed first that the water she was turning off was cold. Then she watched burns on his hand turn from broken skin to unbroken, then red, pink and pale before her eyes.

She looked up into his eyes then, and saw it. Bold, angry red eyes had replaced his icy cool blue. There were darkened veins around his eyes some of them trailing down his cheekbones. He opened his mouth to take a breath and from this angle she could see the tip of one fang. She knew immediately what he was, what she was looking at and at least part of what it meant. But she did not pull away, run, as any normal intelligent human would've done.

She stepped in closer, fascinated. Reaching a hand up, she touched one of the veins below his left eye. "Do these hurt, Damon?"

The red immediately faded, the veins gone. He was staring out at her through blue and stormy eyes now. "No….yes….I don't know." He took her by the shoulders. "What the hell, Elena?"

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No, but I don't understand why you aren't terrified." He glanced at the sink. "And I don't understand what the hell is up with the water." He looked at his hand and stretched it out finding it had no marks left on it.

"Well, one thing at a time." She turned and drew a glass of water, carefully avoiding getting any of it on the outside of the glass. She sat it on the counter. She even wiped it down with a paper towel for caution's sake.

"It's just water to me. I don't know why it would hurt anyone."

"It burned like…..well….like the last time I ran across vervain."

"Vervain?"

"Yes, there's a whole family of flowering plants that are toxic to…." He couldn't seem to say the word. Elena supplied it for him. "Vampires?"

"God, Elena. Not even a flicker. You are the strangest human I have run across in a hundred years."

She only shrugged, grinning. _At least a hundred years old. Wow. Talk about well preserved. Dick Clark would kill for his secret._

She pushed the glass toward him. He was watching her warily, but she was only offering it for his inspection. No fear, no betrayal by splashing it in his face….no sense of self at all.

He sniffed the glass of water carefully and nodded. "Definitely vervain. I guess that explains some things I have wondered about you. But how does an entire home end up with vervain in the water supply?"

Elena pondered that for a minute and then grinned. "My uncle John."

"Your uncle?"

"Yes. He's the reason I know what you are."

"Did he also pass along a crazy gene that would explain why you're not the least bit afraid of me?" He moved closer to her, purposely to intimidate, but she stood her ground.

"Yeah, maybe that too." Elena smiled. "I'm just trying to be logical about that. I've known you for two weeks. In that time you have had every opportunity to hurt me if you were going to. Especially now that you are here, in our home…..assuming the whole invitation thing is true?" She ended that on a question and he inclined his head, acknowledging that it was. "Ah….wonder how that works. Neat. Anyway, if you wanted to hurt me, you would've done it already." She looked up into his face again seeing heat and confusion in his eyes. Uncertainty marred the beauty of their blue depths. She stepped in close and kissed his lips again, running her tongue along the seam until he opened his mouth in surprise. Elena lingered a moment before she pulled away again. "Human or vampire, it doesn't really matter to me." She put a hand to his cheek, tracing with one finger the place she had touched him before when the darkened vein was visible.

"How about takeout for your family tonight, my treat? We can have it delivered." He crossed the room and pulled out a chair for her. "I need for you to sit down and help me understand you and what's happening."

"Alright, but only if you'll answer some of my questions, too."

"Fair enough."

Elena called and ordered a pizza from a Gilbert favorite and sat down with a cup of coffee. She didn't offer Damon any. She knew better now. Privately she was glad they had discovered the problem before she gave him a cup of the poison for him in front of her aunt or Jeremy. That would've been terrible.

Damon watched her from the corner of his eye as she settled in. _Why no fear? Is she nuts? _Then he remembered a younger time, when he had learned a certain "lady's" secret and failed to be afraid. _And I was a fool._

"Alright. Explain."

"Well, I can only tell you what I know. My uncle John used to tell Jer and I stories. I thought that was all they were, just stories. I heard about vampires from the time I was nine. Red eyed beasts with dark veins and long teeth haunted my dreams for a while." Damon was beginning to suspect that Uncle John was a hunter. How strange. Coincidence? Really? It would take a great deal of faith for him to swallow that.

"But you're not afraid."

"No. The reason for that is easy. I had an ancestor that was here one hundred and fifty years ago. He kept detailed journals and there was an outbreak of vampirism then. Jonathan Gilbert fell in love with one of them. He betrayed her and then never married. The way he described her made me think long and hard about all of it. I was thirteen." Jonathan Gilbert was her ancestor. _Oh no._ Damon had broken the guy's neck when he caught up with him years later. He wasn't even good for a meal. Trash for betraying Damon's friends.

Elena leaned on her elbows on the table. "It occurred to me that maybe vampires are just like any other kind of person. Jonathan had spent months getting to know his Pearl before he found out what she was. And Pearl could've killed him at any time, but she didn't. I wondered if she loved him too, which would've made my ancestor's betrayal so much worse. But maybe there were both good and bad vampires just like there are good and bad people. Uncle John's stories lost their horror then and I began to see a thread of common prejudice in him."

Damon chewed on that for a minute. "You really are remarkable, Elena…..At seventeen you are wiser than some I have met that are many times your age."

"Okay. My turn."

He smiled. "Bring it on, chickie."

"How old are you?"

He chuckled. "You sure you really want to know?" He got a glare and a grin from her. "I turned one hundred and seventy six in July. I'm a Leo." He turned on the hundred watt smile and she laughed.

"Are you one of the good guys or one of the bad guys?" He raised a single brow at the question. "I thought we were taking turns. By my count that's two questions." He would chew later on why that question hurt quite as much as it did.

"Alright, but you won't like the answer. If I'm being honest, it would be a matter of who you're asking. I have killed people, humans. Especially early on. At first I didn't know there was any other way to answer my hunger but killing. I didn't have anyone to teach me, so at first every meal was a fresh kill to be concealed. After that I only took life when it seemed justified, but I think anyone who has taken a life can justify it in some way. I always thought I had a good reason, but perhaps not. In the pursuit of things I needed, I have lied, cheated, stolen and killed. If you asked Stefan that question, he would say I'm the worst, and most vile. Stefan is the hero, if you want one. Certainly not me." He found he couldn't look at her. She reached across the table and took his hand.

"It cost you to answer that. I didn't mean to cause you pain." He had more than half expected her to ask him to leave.

"I killed your Jonathan Gilbert, Elena." She looked surprised, but she didn't take her hand away. "Pearl and her people were my friends. I was angry. And you were right. Pearl loved him."

"Like you said, you felt justified."

"Is there nothing I can tell you that will send you running?"

"No, probably not." Acceptance was foreign to him. He wasn't sure how to handle it or what to do with it. He did have to stop every few minutes and stomp down the hope blooming in his chest.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Biology, third bell was so not Elena's favorite time of the day. She shared a desk with Stefan there. She had started to think of Damon's brother as St. Stefan. He was kind and funny and very attractive. He even made her laugh sometimes. But the more time she spent with his brother, the less he seemed to like her. Amazing. Like he walks on water or something.

She had been seeing Damon for a few weeks and enjoying herself immensely. He was disarmingly honest. She knew that he did it because he privately expected her to run away screeching eventually. Her impression sometimes was that he would be disappointed if she did, but that he felt honor bound somehow to try. Strange for one who claimed to have no honor.

His favorite game lately was to take her to bars, compel the bartender to think she was of age, and then set about getting her tipsy. He said she was funny when she had too much to drink. But he never really ordered more than one, maybe two for her. He liked to shock her more than anything.

"You, old man, are a cradle robber and contributing to my delinquency." She told him that one night after she drained her glass and kissed him, the acrid taste of bourbon still on her lips. He enjoyed that very much if the fiery response she got was any indication. He then took her to a back room of that particular bar that she didn't even know was there. In that back room, music was playing very low and groups of dancers were dangerously close on the floor. There must have been two dozen couples, lost in the slow, sensual music.

"Dance with me." was all he said. He was wearing the Slash and Burn smile. She was developing names for each of these expressions he had. This was the smile that said that he wanted to tear a whole village apart, but settled for burning down all of the barns for a ten mile radius instead. If asked why he would do such a thing, his answer would be that he did it because he had matches and no cigar.

Looking around, she attempted to see what it was that would make this room, these dancers, worthy of the Slash and Burn. Looking more closely in the dimly lit room, Elena noticed that these couples were coming very near to the deed right there on the dance floor. He wanted her to refuse, clearly. Recklessly (too much alcohol, maybe?), she decided to play along instead.

She stepped in close and ran her hands up his chest, across his shoulders, to meet at the back of his neck. She felt him ripple under her hands. The sly smile was gone, replaced by…amazement. She found that the palms of her hands were tingling where she had touched him.

Damon seemed to remember the game again when one song ended and another began. All the music was slow, sensual and lovely. She stepped closer still, against him from the knees up and moved slowly to the music. She wasn't sure, but she thought maybe his eyes had glazed over. His hands had settled one on her waist, one on the small of her back. She took the lower of his two hands and pushed it lower, across her hip, around to her backside. Then her hands both splayed his back, the movements slow to match the melody. She swayed into him, hands never stopping. His hands began to move as well, across her bottom, pulling her closer as they moved. And she felt, rather than heard him gasp.

"Elena?" she didn't change a thing, but she did tip her head up to see that his eyes were closed. She kissed the tip of his chin and then his throat where his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. Oh thank god. At least he's as lost in this as I am.

"Yes, Damon?"

"You're really drunk, aren't you?"

"No, Damon. I don't even have a buzz." She brought her hands around, still swaying, and ran them across his chest again. The breathing there caught and hitched.

"Would it send you running for the door if I asked you to come home with me?" One of his hands had snaked up into her hair, rubbing into the scalp at the base of her neck, sending tingles from here to forever.

She grinned wickedly. "Yes." She felt a sigh gush out of him, as if he had expected that. "but only in an effort to get there as quickly as possible." Tension again. He watched her closely.

Blue eyes, not so cold or icy anymore studied her. He had stopped moving. "You are mean. You know that don't you?" She grinned. "I used to be a very nice girl. I think it's something about the company I keep…..." He laughed, which was what she was hoping for. "I wasn't teasing though."

"About which part?"

"About going home with you."

He kissed her then. "Now I have to decide if my conscience will let me take you up on that…"

"Oh please. What conscience?" she asked and he was delighted.

"This might turn out to be just sex. What then?" It sounded like he was wondering if he had an escape hatch available if he needed one.

She smiled. "Then we'll have great sex and that will be where it ends."

That sounded exactly like something he would say. And he didn't like it coming from her. He dropped his hands, stepped out of her arms and walked away.

She watched him round the corner and go out the door the way they had come in. _What the hell just happened?_

She found him at the bar again. He had one empty glass in front of him…newly empty, and another half full.

"Will you take me back to my place, please?" She knew he was angry, she just didn't understand why. Sometimes the best thing for Damon was just to give him space.

"I would Elena, but I'm busy getting drunk."

"Then I'll call a cab." She leaned up and kissed his cheek lightly. "Call me in a day or two when you're making sense again." His hand shot out angrily so fast she didn't see it coming. He took her hand to stop her when she would've left him there.

"What if I don't want for you to go?"

"Of course you want for me to go." _You just left me high and dry on the dance floor in there._

"Sit, Elena."

"Listen, I'm angry too. I don't want to sit, Damon. I want to go home."

Damon took in her expression. Her brown eyes were absolutely snapping.

"I've not had my own lines turned back on me, Elena. I am taking a moment to adjust to being treated like a piece of ass. I'm finding I don't like it much." He shook his head thinking aloud. "This is why I don't get involved with humans. Too confusing. Too much frustration." He turned back to his glass and drained it.

"A piece of…?" She put a finger under his chin and turned him to look at her. She saw that somehow she had hurt him.

"I've never treated anyone like that purposely, Damon. I'm sorry." She brushed his cheek with a free finger. "Tell me what I did wrong and I won't ever do it again."

"You'll have to excuse me if my impression is that you might have always wanted to count one of my kind in your repertoire." He signaled for another drink.

She sputtered into laughter. It didn't take more than a moment for her to be lost in the giggling. "You think that…" choke, sputter, snort. "That I…", "Oh my God, Damon." More giggling. "We are _terrible_ at communication." She rolled her eyes in amazement.

He laid a bill on the counter, took the last glass full of bourbon, drained it and propelled her toward the door. In the parking lot he swung her around to face him.

"Explain."

"Damon, I am very young. Even I know that. I have been with one guy my entire life. I stayed with him for nearly two years. I don't have a "repertoire"." She rolled her eyes, chuckling at the thought. "I wouldn't have made the suggestion I did in there if I didn't care about you. I'm just not built that way." Just that fast she was in his arms, being kissed, a bit roughly, but being kissed. It was better than being grumbled at. Oh, who was she kidding? It was always wonderful when he kissed her. The guy could win awards for this.

He pulled away after a moment. "You just shrugged at the idea that this might be just sex. Like it was nothing to you either way."

"Yeah, that was my poker face. Another gift from Uncle John…..Damon, look at things from my side. You are MUCH more experienced at this than I am. If it's no good, if you are the one that wants only sex, I'm willing to settle for that. I just want to be with you."

"I want more than that."

"Then that's another thing we have in common Damon. I thought I was letting you pick our direction. Conceding to your greater experience."

"Well, I'm a guy. We get lost, Elena. That's what guys do. And then we wander for hours refusing to ask for directions. Not the best choice for picking a direction for anything."

She took his hand. "We can do it together, then."

"How about tonight I take you home?"

He was right, the moment was gone, but Elena knew now that there would be another.

Elena smiled. "Damon , you do realize you're blowing the whole "bad guy" thing right out of the water on a daily basis, right? A bad guy would've taken what he could get any way he could get it."

Damon only smiled. He liked the idea that she thought he was a good guy. Even if she was delusional.

XXXXXXXXXX

Damon had thought long and hard on how to broach the subject with Elena. After all of that consideration, honesty might be the best he had available. He couldn't risk that it might happen again, around another vampire, and risk her.

So he sat her down and talked with her about the megaphone blasts that were her thoughts when they first met. She was utterly mortified that he had heard most of what she had to say to herself when they had their meetings in the coffee shop. No WONDER he had thought she was more experienced with men than she really was. Bonnie, Caroline and her had long ago perfected their "attitude" when it came to guys. But it was only an act, a bit of girlish silliness. They gave them nicknames, taking away any identity and stuck strictly to the surface when they talked about them. All of that had stopped for Elena when she started dating Matt. After they were no longer seeing one another, she had picked up the habit again. She was able to defend herself by saying that Stefan's nickname, Hotness, had been from Caroline, not her. The relieved grin that earned her was worth most of the embarrassment.

They then talked about several things that were strange about the whole thing. Why it happened, who heard (or didn't) what Elena was thinking, and why it had suddenly stopped.

"You know, it would almost make me think it's a spell….."

Then Elena grinned. "Damon, you know about my best friend right?"

"Bonnie?" Damon had yet to meet her, but he knew that Elena talked about her a great deal.

"Yeah. Bonnie is a witch. Maybe we should ask her…."

Damon gave a gusty sigh. "Her best friend is a witch and she fails to mention it…."

After a call, Bonnie agreed to meet them at The Grille for lunch. It was a Saturday and had been a while since she and Bonnie had hung out. Damon had been taking up most of her time and guilt settled in. Bonnie would laugh, but Elena felt the guilt just the same.

Bonnie was already seated and Elena introduced Damon to her. She had a dazed look in her eye for a second. Damon grinned at her and said "I'm Beautiful." As he shook her hand.

"Yes, yes you are..." Bonnie grinned back and Elena laughed.

"No, Bonz. He means that Beautiful is the name I gave him when I talked about him to you before." Now it was Bonnie who laughed. "You actually _told_ him about that?"

"Nah. Too embarrassing. But he knew all the same. That's what we wanted to talk about."

So they told her about the whole scenario and what had happened. She laughed at the Jockey shorts/ photo shoot part especially. It really was pretty funny knowing that Damon had heard every word.

"Is it possible that someone cast a spell on me or something, Bonnie?"

"Well, I'm learning about signatures that others leave on their work. Here, " She reached out. "give me your hands." But Bonnie snatched back her hand as if she had been burned.

"That ring, Elena." She pointed to a band that Damon had noticed her wearing as well, recently. "Where did it come from?" She looked up at Damon, but he just shrugged. _Not me._

Elena pulled it off her finger. The ring was platinum and yellow gold woven together with flecks of some sort of black stone here and there in the places where the two metals meet. It was basically a band, just her size and comfortable. She usually forgot she had it on, even. _Everybody's a critic. Yeah, okay, it is a little tacky, but still. It's important to me._

As soon as Elena removed that ring, the megaphone was back. Damon told them both immediately.

"Well, I guess that answers one part of the mystery. Where did you get this?" Bonnie had it in her hands, studying it. Everything she threw at it, every reach for more information, the source of the power, bounced back on her.

"My uncle John. He sent one for me and one for Jeremy. He asked us not to take them off ever. Something about protecting us. It arrived the day before we found he was gone, so I was trying to honor his memory by doing what he asked for once."

"Well, let's set this aside for a moment." Bonnie reached and took her hands again, she did the same maneuver she had with the ring, searching for a signature, a source of the power. And began to laugh. "Oh no, Elena. I'm so sorry." She chuckled some more.

"What, Bonz? What are you sorry for?"

Bonnie was blushing. "Do you remember our sleepover right after my powers came to light? We were talking about men and understanding them?"

Elena remembered. It was the first time that Bonnie had done any spell around Elena and they had both been terrified. "Right. I watched you do a spell. The candles lit up on their own, the wind blew through closed windows and then that was it. We ended up in front of the TV watching Beavis and Butthead reruns when it didn't work."

"It worked. Just backwards."

Damon interrupted. "I'm not following."

"Elena told me that night that she worried she would never understand guys. She wanted someone she could identify with. So I pulled out an old book and found a compatibility identification spell. It should've sounded off your thoughts to her when the two of you met, identifying you as compatible with her. But I spoke the words in the wrong order."

Damon snorted.

Bonnie went on the defensive immediately. "Hey, I was new to all of this. I screwed up. Kids do that." And then she went on the offensive. "And Elena, do you know that this guy is a vampire?" Her hazel brown eyes were sparked with fire in her annoyance.

"Yes, I do, Bonz. I've known that since the second week." _And a very sexy vampire, if I do say so…... _She thought that for his benefit since the ring was still on the table. Damon grinned.

"And you didn't tell me?" Bonnie was hurt.

"I know. I tell you everything, but it wasn't my secret to tell, Bonnie." She squeezed her friend's hand.

Damon swallowed his surprise. Even in the face of full disclosure, she kept his secret and he had never even asked. He had never expected such loyalty. Could never deserve such loyalty….

"Focus, ladies. So we know where it came from and what it does now. We know how to contain it. But can it be removed, reversed? I mean, this could be dangerous, right?"

"It might only be you that would be able to hear her, Damon. We don't know for sure. Considering the spell has been in place for nearly two years and this is the first time we've had a "hit", I think she should be safe. I will work on removing it, but I don't think it's an emergency….unless I'm missing something."

"That's perfect, Bonnie. Thank you. I'll call you later, I promise."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Damon had the ring in his shirt pocket. He was overjoyed at being privy to her internal dialogue again and laughed when she forgot herself and thought something naughty.

They went back to the Boarding House. Damon went to grab his chess set when the front door bell pealed. He stepped into the hallway calling to her. "Elena, would you mind answering that? If it's a girl scout bring her on in. I'm hungry." He chuckled at the response he got from her thoughts. _Like he would eat girl scouts. Silly man. _

Elena opened the door and found a man looking back at her that she had never seen. He was dressed in a suit, a very nice suit, and was leaning casually on the doorway until he looked up and met her eyes. He had the warmest brown eyes she had ever seen. But the rest of him seemed regal, dignified. He was easily twice her age if she had to guess, but still quite attractive. And then his eyes narrowed as he took in her face. His eyes turned red, darkened veins like Damon's.

"Katarina!" He bellowed, furious, and smashed into the barrier indicating he lacked an invitation. He spoke with a European accent. He hit that barrier so hard, she felt the foundations of the hallway tremble, and then he did it again.

Trembling herself, she thought, _Damon, get your vampy ass down here! _The man became very still, suddenly, studying her, his head turned slightly to one side.

"I'm not Katarina." Thank you, God. "My name is Elena." She felt a bit like someone trying to talk a hungry attack dog out of a bone.

"Human, Elena?" The eyes were fading back to brown and filled with curiosity. _And why exactly does the way he says my name make my toes curl? I'm going to need a cold shower…._

"Yes." He moved like one of the big cats. A panther maybe. He now appeared to idly lean against the barrier. All of the earlier fury gone and he was the picture of dignity. A panther in Armani. And are all vampires hot? Exactly how fair is that to the rest of us, as their prey? She could see how being attractive would help with drawing a meal to you, but still…..She even wondered idly if since she liked cheeseburgers, was she attractive to cows?

The man tipped his head back and laughed. That was when Elena realized he heard what she was thinking. Oh no. The megaphone. Damn it. She looked at her hands remembering that Damon had her ring. She would not think about what it meant that this stranger could hear her.

Damon rounded the corner then at a dead run. He stopped short in the foyer when he saw Elijah standing there. Oh dear god.

"My apologies then." Elijah was saying. Without acknowledging Damon, he said "Your friend looks remarkably like Katarina. But I suppose you already knew that. I was caught off guard. You, young Elena, look very much like someone that I have been searching for a very long time." _I hope she deserves what she's going to get when you catch up with her._

"I can assure you, she does."

"Elena this is Elijah. I guess you would call him one of our elders."

"Damon, are you going to invite him in?"

"I can't. And Zack isn't here." Zack was who Damon referred to as his uncle, but was actually a great, great, great nephew. It was really just an excuse, he could easily call Zack and ask him to invite someone in over the phone if absolutely necessary, but he just didn't trust the older, stronger vampire.

Having heard part of what she had been thinking, Damon handed her the ring. "You should put this on, Sweetheart." His eyes spoke volumes and she saw anger glowing there.

She met Elijah's eyes. _I am so screwed. _Elijah smiled as he watched her slide the ring on and the room went silent.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"A hunter's ring." Elijah studied her face from the doorway, the barrier. "Are you a hunter, little Elena?"

She took a few steps closer. "You've seen this kind of ring before?"

"Of course." Still the casual stance behind the barrier she couldn't see.

Feeling awkward, she turned to Damon. "Let's take some refreshments outside. We can use the balcony. We can't leave your guest out there. This is nuts."

Damon gave her a silent look that said _Elena, he's dangerous._

_Well, so are you, but here I am. Nobody's perfect. _

_ He could hurt you._

_ But he won't._

_ How can you know that?_

Elena turned to Elijah. "I would like very much for us to come out there with you, but I don't know you. And Damon worries like an old woman. So I will ask and you'll have to tell me. If I come out there and sit so we can all talk, will you hurt me?"

"No. I will not." He was unoffended by her question, very solemn.

"And do you promise not to throw me over a shoulder and cart me away or something equally villainous?" She smiled at him to take the sting out of the question.

Elijah met her eyes and said "I promise not to do any such thing today." She did notice the qualifier and rolled her eyes. Elijah suppressed a smile. And Damon fumed.

Elena headed out the door without another thought leaving them both trailing in her wake. Satisfying for one "little girl" to have two vampire men following after her.

She settled into a seat on the multi-level balcony that made up the back yard of the Salvatore home.

One sat on either side of her and immediately Elena asked "Will you tell me about these rings?"

"Certainly. They protect hunters from all things supernatural. They stop spells, compelling, that sort of thing. I have heard whispers of them reviving the dead, but that might be fairy tale. I don't really know. Yours is unusual though. I can feel the power radiating from that one from here. I don't know that I've ever seen one quite so strong." His face took on a puzzled expression for a moment.

"I have heard of some of these that won't allow another to remove the ring from its wearer. May I?" He motioned at her hand and she held it up. He took her hand and attempted to remove the ring. One moment it was between his fingers, sliding off, the next it was back on her hand again all on its own.

"Fascinating. There's a great deal of power in that. Whoever gave that to you must've loved you very much. That's part of its power." He was still holding her hand turning it over to see the ring from all sides. Elena made herself pull away.

"Can I ask why you don't just have the enchantment removed that makes your thoughts public knowledge? It seems that would be easier than trying to keep on the ring at all times." Elijah had sat back in his seat.

_At least_ _he had not caught on about the type of spell it was. It was embarrassing enough that he had heard as much as he did. For him to know what it meant would be …..awkward._

Damon answered. _"_We're working on it. The witch who did it is a very good friend. She is young and inexperienced. This particular piece of enchantment was one of her first spells and backfired."

"If you would both allow it, I can remove it for you."

"You can do that?" Both Damon and Elena spoke at once.

"Yes." Elijah, a man of few words, was the picture of confidence. He did not attempt to explain how he could do it, or where he had learned such a thing. It was usually accepted that only the person who placed a spell could remove it among witch circles. It took that or a stronger witch. They would be horrified to know that a vampire could do such a thing. It would be an abomination to witches everywhere.

Elena looked to Damon. "I would like very much for this to be gone. Is it alright with you for me to let him try?"

He was still annoyed about what had happened earlier, but her deference to his feelings went a long way with him. "It's worth a shot."

"You'll have to take off the ring first, Elena." Elena warily removed it, thinking of brick walls, anything to keep from thinking something embarrassing.

Elijah held out his hand. Elena placed hers in it. He appeared to be attempting to compel her, if the way his eyes changed were any indication, but he said nothing. There was no pain, no sensation at all. Just warm brown eyes with pupils shifting in size back and forth first expanded, then contracting. It seemed like forever, but really, only took about a minute and Elijah released her hand. "It's done, little one. You should be free to think whatever you want in the privacy of your own mind again."

She was half afraid to test it out, but eventually took off the ring and thought the words of a naughty limerick she had memorized years ago. _There once was a man from Nantucket… _To her great joy, neither of them responded.

"Nothing?" Just to be sure she had to ask.

They both shook their heads.

"Oh thank God." She turned to Elijah. "I owe you one, Elijah. You are wonderful. Thank you." On impulse she stood and hugged him. He didn't appear to know how to respond for a moment, then he returned the hug.

"We'll call this one a freebie. Or call it payment for the laughter. I haven't laughed like that in a long time, Elena." His smile was genuine, and Damon knew he had never seen Elijah so open. Damon didn't like it one bit. _Mine._

Elena went inside to get refreshments while Elijah and Damon had a chance to talk about whatever it was that had brought Elijah all the way from New York in the first place. Some sort of business that the council had with Damon. She didn't know details and didn't want to. She tried to give them time, and glanced out the window every now and then looking for a lull in the conversation before she went back out.

When she was gone and their other business concluded, Elijah looked at Damon. "A bit of advice?"

Damon inclined his head respectfully, which cost him in pride.

"That girl loves you. I saw it when I was taking down the enchantment. She might not even know it yet, I can't be sure on that. But she is deeply troubled by the effects of this day and what damage it might do to the two of you."

Damon looked away. He felt betrayed that she was attracted to someone else. He couldn't help that.

Elijah continued. "I would just like to point out that having one's thoughts available to be used against you is a very precarious position to be in at any time. In a relationship is an even more uncomfortable time. I would suggest that you take a moment to consider that, and the disadvantage she was in before you take offense at random thoughts that would've passed unnoticed if not for this spell. It would be a shame for you to lose her because of basic vampire possessiveness."

They were silent for a moment.

"And I would imagine she doesn't meet men, or vampires, she's compatible with every day." He raised an eyebrow slyly. Elijah knew the nature of the spell, after all. "For you to be one that is compatible with such a girl is a treasure. Don't waste it being jealous."

"I sense changes in you. This girl is a good influence. You are calmer, less impulsive, less blood thirsty. For good measure, I would also suggest you keep that young woman under a rock." Elijah shook his head in wonder. "I don't know that I've ever run across anyone quite like her."

"You won't either." They both looked up to find Elena crossing to them with a tray. She carried a snifter of bourbon with glasses as well as another set of frosted glasses and a small pitcher of fresh lemonade. "I couldn't decide which would appeal to either of you more, so I brought both."

They sat for a few moments more, enjoying a drink together. After expressing regret, Elijah announced that he should be returning. Everyone stood. Elena expected that he would have someone retrieve his car, but he didn't appear to have one with him. He shook Damon's hand and then he turned to Elena. He shook her hand as well, then reached into a pocket and gave her a small piece of paper. He leaned in close and said something in her ear which made her laugh, then clap a hand over her mouth. She nodded. And then Elijah was gone.

"What did he give you?" He looked at the paper. A name and a number.

"It's the name of his tailor since I admired the man's work. For you." They both laughed.

He took her in his arms then. "Damn Elena, only you could charm the council watchdog without even trying. He is feared far and wide among our kind and you made him laugh like a drain. I didn't even know he _had_ a sense of humor and we've been acquainted, if not exactly friends, for years."

XXXXXXXXXX

_Damon considered Elijah's words. The older vampire had said that Elena loved him. He knew it was a matter of honor that the other male did not lie. He would not have said such a thing if it weren't true and certain._

_ The first thing Damon did was accept this and the advice to let the incident of her obvious attraction and compatibility for the other vampire go. Because she loved him, the rest didn't matter to him at all._

_ They took the remnants of their afternoon talk on the balcony inside and the kitchen was filled with sounds of tinkling glass. Elena was quiet, probably expecting a fight with him. For once, he wouldn't give her one._

_ He cornered her in the kitchen first with his arms, then with his body, moving in, invading her space. She tensed, looking up into his eyes. He might have the strength here, but she held the power. God, how he loved her. To keep from saying it, he kissed her lips, sucking at first the top lip, one corner at a time. He moved to the bottom doing the same. She gasped against him. She pressed herself even closer and they both got lost in the kiss for a moment. When he could take no more, he stepped away._

_ He reached to take her hand in both of his larger ones. It had to be her choice. He had to be her choice, or there was nothing._

_ "Will you come upstairs with me?" Elena would know what he meant. He was counting on it._

_ She turned away, pulling her hand from his and he heard something in him shatter like glass. But then he saw that she was just drying her hands so he could breathe again._

_ She took his hand again. She said only, "Show me."_

_ He led her up the stairs to his room. At the top of the stairs, he kissed her again, sensing tension. She was so sweet, so beautiful, perfect for him in every way._

_ He ran his mouth along her jawline, his nose along her cheek. He was tasting and touching her, memorizing her. He was also gasping in one breath and gasping out another. He sounded like a marathon runner. Which was remarkable because he could run forever and never get out of breath. She stole his breath. Given the chance, she could steal everything, all that he was, and make him smile about it._

_ "If we do this, there won't be any looking back." He was warning her that he wanted this, but that it meant more than just passing time. "This will change everything. Are you ready for that? If I unleash this thing inside me that wants you so much, there won't be any taming it." _

"_I will already never be the same. It's only fair that you should be changed too."_

They went into his room and closed the door. Elena discovered the entire room was completely dark. The windows had been blacked out and no light at all penetrated anywhere. For her it was a complete black out. She felt Damon's hands pulling her top up and over her head. She found the buttons of his shirt and began to undo them, feeling, if not seeing, smooth skin beneath them. Her hands trembled. As he released the clasp on her bra, his arms around her, she noticed with satisfaction that he was trembling too. With the wall of his chest exposed, she released the buttons at his wrists and pushed the shirt off his shoulders, feeling the smooth muscle leap at her touch. A gasp from him filled the room. "Elena, I don't know if I can take much more of that. If you touch me much more, this will be over before it starts. Be patient with me. Please." He kissed her shoulder as he unbuttoned her jeans. A soft kiss skimmed her breast as he leaned down and helped her step out of the pants and lace panties she wore. Then she heard the rustle of clothing and hoped (please God) that he was as naked and exposed as she was.

Soft words from the darkness. "Please don't cover yourself. You are beautiful." She had put her hands over her chest in the darkness. She had forgotten that he could see perfectly in the dark. Unfair.

He took her hand then, and led her to the bed. They laid for a moment lips and tongues twisting in desperation. Elena moved a hand into his hair and with a whoosh of air he was gone.

"Where did you go?"

"I'm calming myself. Give me just a minute. You can't touch, Elena. Not this time, I'm sorry. Next time, I promise."

So she lay on the bed and felt his hand glide up her calf, higher to her thigh. She sighed softly as tingles spread across her exposed trailing after his fingers. The sensation was chasing him across the landscape of her body. The fingers trailed lightly across an arm, a shoulder, to her neck, then a breast. She gasped again and her body came up off the bed.

Again, he was gone.

She couldn't speak this time. She just waited in the darkness, hearing nothing, seeing nothing.

A hand on her abdomen now, circling and warm wet lips on her left breast. He teased her, touching and she tried very hard not to make a noise, but a low groan escaped again. The contact stopped, but no burst of air as he left her in the darkness this time. He was blowing on the wetness he had left at her breast, the coolness a surprising sensation to overheated skin. She opened her mouth, but no sound escaped and she heard him laugh at her a little.

He trailed his mouth across her neck, kissing and biting lightly. He touched her nowhere else as he trailed his mouth down between her breasts and lower to her abdomen before his tongue delved into her navel. Her body bucked on the bed in surprise and tension. Never in her entire life had she known that navels could be erotic. He was gone again, another cool burst of air as he attempted to calm himself.

After a few moments of rest, she felt his hand on one hipbone, and then the other, one tingling caress after another. He placed one hand over the center of her, feeling the heat. He pulled his hand away and blew lightly where she was most heated. She thought later that she might've screamed.

He touched her then, lightly, exploring her while she stopped breathing at all. She feared if she did breathe, she would send him away again. So he touched her intimately and came in close to kiss her his tongue in her mouth, stroking, as his hand was stroking so much lower. Her hips bucked against him all by themselves and he was gone again, just like that.

"I need you Damon. Here. Now." She tried to sound commanding in the darkness, but it came out a plea anyway.

He was lying next to her then and she moved quickly. She kissed him, running one hand across his wonderful chest and over to the bed beside him. Quickly, she straddled him. She'd be damned if he'd get away again. Without a word she kissed him, and then overwhelmed him as she took as much of him as she could in her one small hand. From the back of his throat came a deep, animal like growl. But she refused to be afraid. She wanted this, more than anything. She guided him to her and lowered herself around him, absorbing, stretching. He roared her name. His voice didn't even sound human. She had him where she needed him now. She rose up on her knees and lowered herself again. He sat up, meeting her chest to chest. She wrapped her arms around him as his head fell back with a sound of wonder. She kissed his throat, using her small teeth to pull and suck the smoothness there. More groaning growls vibrated from his chest as his hands came up to pull her face down for a kiss and his hips left the bed to meet hers for another seeking thrust. She kissed him, his lips, his jaw, his shoulder whispering her secret with each kiss. "I love you." "I love you." "I love you." He took her face in his hands and gave the words back to her, against her mouth. "I love you, too, Elena." She kept saying it over and over. It seemed that since she had started, she couldn't stop. With the words, she felt him grow even more within her before they dove into bliss together for a few moments.

After some moments where the only sounds were labored breathing, Damon's voice in the shadowed room asked "Are you alright?"

"Alright? I'm friggin' perfect. However, something has occurred to me. We've been talking and dating for the last month when we could've been doing this instead." She slapped her forehead in the darkness with the palm of her hand. "God, I'm an idiot."

He snorted with laughter as he drew her up against him and kissed her. "Yes, but you're my idiot now."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Some hours later, Damon was feeding her an omelet. It was his one claim to fame in a kitchen, and quite an accomplishment considering he never touched the stuff in here.

_She had class today and he was making sure she had a good, balanced breakfast. Gotta keep up the girl's strength, right? _He was smiling to himself as he poured her a glass of orange juice he had bought for her last week.

"You are looking entirely too pleased with yourself." She told him between bites.

"Oh, please. Let me just be happy for a second, okay?" His smile moved into a full-fledged beam. "I'll let you know when I'm done and then you can hassle me again. Sound fair?"

She stuck out her lower lip pouting playfully and ate her breakfast.

Stefan came into the kitchen then, surprise on his face at seeing Elena dressed for school and eating eggs at their kitchen bar.

"Good morning, Elena."

"Hi, Stefan. How are you doing?"

"Yes, little brother. How was the hossenfeffer catch this morning?" Damon asked with malice in his tone.

"Damon." He turned at the sound of his name to find Elena looking at him like he was a naughty child. "You're supposed to be over there being happy. Hush." He opened his mouth once, twice…nothing came out. He just grinned and turned back to washing the pan.

Stefan roared with laughter.

"Elena Gilbert, did you just hush my brother? And it worked?" He was shaking his head at the two of them, but Damon was deep in his efforts to clean the pan, and grinning.

"Okay, I give up being disapproving. You two are perfect for one another." Stefan was still chuckling as he carried his coffee back to his room mumbling about seeing Damon tear grown men apart for less.

"My brother thinks I'm whipped now." He still couldn't wipe the smile off of his face though.

She stood up and came around the counter as he was wiping off his hands on the towel. She drew him down and kissed his mouth. Against his lips she whispered "Why, do you want to be?"

In less than a breath she was against the counter and he was between her thighs. "God woman, where have you been all my life?" His blue eyes were snapping with excitement.

She put a finger to her temple as if considering. "Hmmmmm….grade school mostly, and then junior high…..I've been pretty much completely underage until very recently." He tickled her and she laughed. "There's that meanness in you again. Way to get the old man jab in, though. Skillfully done."

"Thank you. I woke up with that one in my head and have been working toward using it all morning." He sat her on the counter and kissed her again. He had never known it was hard, if not almost impossible, to kiss and smile at the same time. The things he was learning with this girl….

Stefan was headed for the door when he heard Elena say "I've got class to get to. We'll talk about this whole "whipping" thing this afternoon". The sound of a small hand and swat and then Damon's laughter followed her down the hallway. His brother really had met his match in this little thing. How funny and wonderful. He didn't think he had ever seen Damon so happy and relaxed. Stefan had also noticed that there was a new refrigerator in the basement. It was stocked with blood bags. It had been there for the better part of a month. Although stealing from blood banks wasn't perfect, it was better than the alternative…Damon hunting. That was also another improvement, and all since Elena.

XXXXXXXXXX

Elena had gotten drawn into meeting her friends in town. The Grille was pretty much the only sit down restaurant and since they had pool tables and a bar, it helped. The fact that Matt worked there as a busboy didn't help, but she had promised she would come, and that she would bring Damon.

He picked her up a few minutes early. He didn't like much the idea of sharing her with her friends, but he already knew how she valued them, so he accepted the situation without comment. This time with the two of them together, always alone, had been unusual for her. If he wanted to be with her, he would be with her friends at times as well.

"I have an embarrassing question to ask you." Elena wanted to sink through the leather seat just at the thought of having to put this into words.

_What would embarrass her so? He could see her blood pooling under the skin. She's always beautiful, but was especially so when she blushed. He decided not to tease her since she was already squirming about something._

He took her hand across the console. "Just ask, Elena. You're practically chasing me out of the car with the scent of your fear. What can possibly be so bad?"

"Okay. You're going to meet several of my friends tonight. When I introduce you, I can't say "This is Damon." without following it with something. You just can't." He was watching her squirm and genuinely trying to follow what she was trying to say.

"Am I making sense?"

"Not even a little bit."

"Damn it, Damon." Even after nearly two hundred years of age, men could still be thick headed. Who knew? "I want to introduce you as my boyfriend."

The look he gave her said that he expected nothing less. "Naturally."

She rolled her eyes at the roof of the car and sighed. At least it was settled. _Frustrating man._

At The Grille Elena introduced him to Caroline, a lovely blonde and one of her closest friends. Caroline was absolutely transfixed. She raised a brow and rolled her eyes at Elena when he turned away that said _"Wow, you weren't kidding. Hawwwtttt!"_

Elena smiled and gave her the look that said, _"Yeah, I know, but you keep your paws to yourself or I'll chew them off." _Caroline's response was hands in the air innocence and a laugh. Elena was thankful that Damon wasn't overhearing this conversation.

For some reason, whatever Elena had, Caroline wanted. This had been the way of things since third grade when Elena had snuck an Ice Skater Barbie to school and Caroline had stolen it. Elena had even found it in Caroline's desk while the blonde had continued to deny taking it. So from then on, friends or no, it was on. Really it was something that kept them both busy in a small town, but she would beat Caroline down if she so much as breathed hard on Damon. This was worlds away from her just getting frustrated when Caroline would flirt with Matt while he and Elena were dating. This was so much different. She was in love, and it made her insecure.

Damon sat for a moment at the bar and she saw him stop to talk to someone. It was Mr. Saltzman. She had no idea the two were friends. They were laughing, even.

So Elena and Damon sat and had dinner with Bonnie and Caroline. Tyler and Matt came in together and settled in shortly after the rest of them had ordered. She introduced Damon as her boyfriend, and he was warm, charming and interesting all around. The evening was perfect and she couldn't have asked for a better companion.

_Damon had just been introduced to the ex- boyfriend. Inwardly he seethed, but was forced to smile and be charming. What he really wanted was a good excuse to send that kid flying through the plate glass wall near the entrance. That would satisfy. Through the meal, Damon looked for some good reason to dislike the kid, but so far he was just a typical seventeen year old jock out with friends. Why couldn't her Matt have been a jackass?_

_ Damon thought he had his chance at last when the meal was coming to a close and Elena got up to go to the ladies room. A minute later, Matt excused himself to check on something and Damon listened closely as Matt went to the back, did something, and then came out at the same time Elena exited the restroom. It was clearly arranged. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to stay in his seat and listen._

_ "Hey, Elena. I had hoped to talk to you for a second." _

_ "Hi Matt. What's up?" She sounded a little strange, uncomfortable. He fought the urge to get up then._

_ "I heard about your uncle. I'm so sorry."_

_ "Oh, thanks. It was very sudden."_

_ There was an uncomfortable silence between them for a moment, and then the boy took a deep breath._

_ "You know, when we broke up, I found myself hoping that maybe it was about your parents….I thought maybe if I was patient, you would come back to me, eventually."_

_ "Oh, Matt. I was being honest when I said that it just wasn't right between us anymore."_

_ "I know, Elena. It's OK. I just wanted to say that I understand. I see the way you look at that guy. You never looked at me that way. So I guess I wanted to say that I'm happy for you."_

_ Damn it. The kid's taking the high road. Doesn't anybody ever do what's expected around here?_

_ "Elena, one thing…." Ah, here we go._

_ "Yeah?"_

_ "I thought you didn't like "pretty boys"." She laughed._

_ "Um…newsflash for you, Matt. When a woman says that…she's lying." The boy laughed. At least Elena was being honest, Damon supposed._

_ "Besides….he's got a 4C."_

_ "A WHAT?"_

_ What followed was car geekness to the extreme and he stopped listening there. He did think he heard Matt say that if Elena didn't marry Damon, maybe Matt would. They came back to the table and that was about as interesting as it got._

_ Damon sighed. He had really needed a good brawl tonight. A paper cut….something. _

Damon and Elena were headed back to his home for drinks. Elena had her eyes shut, listening to the car wind out. There was just enough distance that she could listen to Damon run it through its paces. Life was good.

Damon interrupted her thoughts, "I think you love me for my car." She didn't open her eyes but could hear the smile in his voice.

"Hmmmmm….well, I don't love you necessarily for the car, but it does help me with overlooking your more unattractive traits." He huffed and sputtered. "Matt on the other hand loves you for your car." And Damon laughed outright then.

"Unattractive traits?' She opened her eyes and found him smiling and scanning her face. "I don't have any "unattractive traits"!

She only raised a brow at him, dubious.

It was then that his phone buzzed in his pocket. It must've been bad, because Damon pulled to the side of the road in the darkness.

"Okay, I got it. I'll be there. Just hold on." Damon hung up his phone and appeared torn for a minute.

"Elena, I need for you to do me a couple of favors and just not ask questions. Can you do that?"

"Of course. Can I ask if everyone's alright?"

"You can ask, but I don't have the answer to that." He pulled out a piece of scrap paper and was scribbling fast.

"I am going to need for you to just drive my car home tonight, alone." Elena's expression grew worried. "Stefan was on a trip to New Orleans looking for something and he's in trouble, Elena. I have to go. I can get there faster on foot than in this."

"I understand."

"And one more thing…" He handed her a piece of paper with an address on it. "At midnight, I need for you to go to this address and see if the door is still closed on the basement. If it is, come back at six AM and open the door. You'll need to take clothes down there at six when you open the door."

She was puzzled, but nodded.

"It's your Mr. Saltzman, Elena. Tonight is a full moon. I count him as a friend now and you were right. He's a werewolf." He quickly leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I have to go."

"Please be careful." But she found she was saying it to the wind.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The address was a back road in Mystic Falls that she had never been down. Thank God for GPS and cell phones. She followed directions and pulled into the driveway of a cute little cottage at the end that sat alone on some land behind the Mayor's property. How had she never noticed this little house before?

She had a moment of panic when she realized that she had no key for the front door. But when she tried it, she found it unlocked.

The place was neat as a pin. Weird. If Damon was to be believed, this was Mr. Saltzman's home. Mr. Saltzman always looked a little bit ruffled. She would've expected him to be a messy kind of housekeeper. Beer cans, pizza boxes, that sort of thing lying around. But there was nothing like that.

That was when she heard the growling. It was low, a warning, and it made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end in terror.

Then there was a scuffle sound and a rattling scrape. There was more growling, it sounded like in growing frustration.

She found the basement door in the kitchen. There was a tiny window up high on the steel door. Who has a steel door to their basement? Mr. Saltzman, evidently. There knob was designed so that it locked and only opened from one side, inside. Weird. She stood on tiptoe to look in the window and saw chains moving, being pulled. The growling grew louder and deeper. Fortunately she wasn't feeling suicidal today. She wasn't even curious enough to try to see what that thing down there looked like.

_The sounds coming out of it are enough for me. __OK, basement door is still locked. I'll be back at six am to open it._

At six Elena pulled in the driveway again. She hadn't slept well, waiting to come back here, worrying about Damon. He hadn't called her. Which was no real surprise, anyway, but still she worried. And then she wondered what she would find here when she returned.

Stomach turning, she went back to the front door and opened it. There was no sound coming from below, no rustling, or clanging or anything at all, really.

She went to the single bedroom and opened the closet door. From out of it she pulled a fluffy blue robe, a pair of clean jeans and finally she grabbed a t-shirt from a drawer. Everything here was like the rest of the house, as neat as a pin. Unexpected enough to seem a little scary.

She took the clothes and headed for the basement door, wiggling the lock as she opened it. From below she heard a deep male voice. "Prepare yourself here, man. I got a problem."

She didn't answer, but began down the dozen or so steps. She could see nothing until she reached the last two steps and the first thing she saw was a naked foot, a naked calf and then finally all naked Mr. Saltzman sitting on the floor of the basement wrapped in chains. They were attached to brackets at his wrists, ankles and neck. Then they were anchored to the wall. It looked like a couple of the anchors had pulled loose in the night. She understood that these were intended to hold him when he changed, but she couldn't help the smile that came across her face at the sight. _Damon was clearly a bad influence on her._

He had not looked up yet, he was struggling trying to reach a key. It was out of his reach by about a foot. When he did, he saw one of his students standing there, looking at him and his brain seized for a second.

"Oh dear God." He sounded horrified and defeated and embarrassed. "I can explain."

Elena wanted to laugh, but managed not to. "It's okay, Mr. Saltzman. I'm here for Damon. He had a family emergency and asked me to come help you."

"You're Elena, aren't you? My fourth period class?"

He had crossed his legs, trying for casual.

She ignored him and threw him the robe so he could cover himself. She then went around and got the key he was struggling for and handed it to him.

"I brought jeans and a t-shirt." She dropped those beside him and headed back up the stairs. She thought about leaving it at that, but figured it would make things harder on him if she did. She knew that if that were her, she'd want an opportunity to feel out what she was thinking.

She made coffee because she was desperate for some. He joined her, barefoot and ruffled looking a few minutes later. She poured him a cup, handing it to him as he came through the door.

"I can explain." His eyes were hazel with golden lights in them. She never got close enough in class to notice. He always looked like he hadn't shaved in a day or two. It was a little more pronounced this morning due to the rough night. His hair was a sandy brown and cut close enough that it stood straight up on top of his head as he ran both of his hands through it in a gesture of defeat.

"You don't have to, Mr. Saltzman."

"Please call me Ric. It's usually a step that I don't skip when a girl sees me naked." She laughed.

"And I want to clear the air by saying that if you think that just because you've seen me naked and chained my basement that I'll give you an A in my class, well…." He trailed off for a second and then met her eyes and smiled. "you're absolutely right."

_Good lord, he's as bad as Damon in his own way. Charm oozed from him._ She laughed because she couldn't not laugh at his discomfort.

"I won't be telling anyone, Ric. No worries. I swear. You and this are not the strangest thing I've seen recently." She shrugged.

Ric's eyes studied her for a moment. Then he laughed in relief. "It was you that outed me, wasn't it?"

"Outed you?"

"Right, to Damon. The "Mr. Saltzman has hairy knuckles" girl. That was you, wasn't it? You spotted me from a mile away…."

Oh. "Yeah, that was me. He told me tonight that I was right. It was just an observation and a joke. I'm sorry about that." But he only shook his head and laughed. "No, you totally had it. Dead giveaway for us. Even the females. Where did you learn that?"

Uncle John again. "I had an uncle that used to tell me stories. That was one of them. I always thought it was funny, so it stuck. I think maybe he was a hunter, but I'll never know for sure. He passed away a few weeks ago."

"I'm sorry." He went for more coffee and refilled her cup.

"How would your hunter uncle feel about the fact that you're dating someone like Damon?"

Elena got angry then. Damon had called him a friend, but this guy didn't know if he was telling her something she didn't already know. She pushed her chair out, standing.

"The better question is whether I give a damn or not what he would think." Her eyes were snapping at him. "Damon called you his friend, but you want to rat him out to me?"

"Listen." He was laughing again. "Easy. Sit. I had to make sure you knew. If you didn't, well, it might be dangerous for you. I was feeling you out." She sat back down.

His hazel eyes studied her for a second. "You got it bad, huh?"

She smiled at him then. "I'll keep your secret if you'll keep mine."

It was then that Ric's cell phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. He had a scowl on his face, which told her that he didn't usually get calls at six thirty on a Saturday morning.

"Hey man." There was a pause. "Yeah, she had it covered. No, she's great. She's perfectly delicious." Ric winked at her while she covered her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Then he held out the phone so she could hear the cursing. "Hey, chill. I'm kidding. She's sitting here drinking a cup of coffee with me. Down boy."

Another pause while Ric's face took on a serious expression. "Right. I got it. No problem. And thanks again, man."

When he hung up, she wondered vaguely why Damon hadn't called her, but was just relieved to know he was okay. To Ric she said "Something's wrong."

"Yeah. He asked me to babysit his brother, at their house. I'm not supposed to let you near the brother."

"Do you know where his house is?"

"No."

"Or how to get in?"

"No."

"Yeah, he didn't think that through. He does that sometimes, I think. You're going to need me." Ric went to get his shoes, shrugging.

And so the two of them went to the Salvatore home. They found a note addressed to Ric waiting on the front door with instructions. No explanations, just instructions, framed mostly as warnings.

Don't get too close. Don't talk to him. Give him the blood in the door of the refrigerator only, no blood bags. Damon said that Stefan would need to be held downstairs for at least four days, maybe more. There was also a note that no humans, especially Elena, should be allowed downstairs.

And so, naturally she headed downstairs. She knew where the door was, where the lights were…and yes, she was burning up with curiosity.

She came around a corner she had never noticed before, where lights were on. At the end of that darkened hallway was a door with bars on a small window high up on the door. Like a jail, or a dungeon. Weird.

She walked slowly up the hallway when she heard a voice. Stefan.

"Elena, is that you?"

"Yes. I'm here." She was still moving slowly, but she answered him.

"Oh thank God. I think Damon's lost his blasted mind. Can you please open this ridiculous door?' He sounded like he always did, just a little frustrated and exasperated.

Then Ric stepped around the corner "Elena, stay away from there. He's dangerous."

The quiet, normal figure of Stefan disappeared in the sounds that came from that cell. Cursing, yelling and all manner of animalistic snarls erupted. She finally had to settle on the floor of the hall and cover her ears, it was so difficult to hear.

Over the noise, Ric said in her ear, "I think you should go, Elena. I think the smell of your blood is making this harder for him."

Oh no. She knew that Stefan didn't drink human blood. So if the smell of her blood was bothering him, he must have been hunting for humans again. She didn't really know all of the implications of that, but evidently this Stefan was the result.

She turned tail and ran.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Elena stayed away from the Salvatore house as long as she could. She worried about Stefan and Damon. She worried about Ric. After class, she finally decided to go there.

She found him watching a football game alone in the den. Damon was still nowhere to be found and she was genuinely worried now. She had tried his cell and been kicked to voicemail twice. She really needed answers and felt that being quiet and submissive as long as she had been should be enough to satisfy anyone.

When she talked to Ric, she knew quickly that he wasn't in the know about what had happened either, he was just helping out a friend. He hoped that Damon would be back, but was unsure and hadn't talked to him. She asked about Stefan and Ric said that he was calmer now, and seemed to be crashing from a big high or something. She wanted to talk with Stefan and headed that direction telling Ric as much.

"Yeah, okay. Just don't get too close. He bites, you know." Ric shrugged and went back to his game.

Under her breath she said "Hypocrite." and Ric laughed. _Werewolf hearing…who knew?_

Elena wandered quietly down the same hallway as before. There was no movement this time, and everything was still as death.

About six feet from the door, Elena stopped. She knew that those bars on the window didn't stop hands from reaching out and she didn't feel like being had for lunch. It broke her heart to think of Stefan the way he had been just three days ago. Wild, angry. He was, well, good. To remember that cursing blood thirsty beast was painful.

She sat on the floor at the six or so feet away point and leaned against the wall.

She heard a scuffle and a bit of movement.

"Who's there?" Stefan called.

"Hi Stefan. It's me. Elena."

"Are you okay, Elena? I didn't hurt you, did I? I seem to remember you, but then it all goes black. I was afraid that I….."

"I'm fine, Stefan. No harm done at all."

"Thank God."

"Stefan, will you tell me where Damon is? What happened to both of you?"

There was stillness from the cell and it started to tear at her nerves. She stood up and made to move closer.

"No!" It was Stefan, inside the cell. He could hear that she was moving closer and didn't want the temptation of her nearby. He still didn't trust himself. He was telling her to stay clear of him.

Elena froze, and slid back down the wall.

"It's a long story, Elena. But the most honest thing I can say is that the person who changed both Damon and I into what we are today is twisted. She caught up with me in New Orleans. Things didn't really go my way, and I ended up like this." He was quiet for a minute. "I'd said I would rather die than to be this again. So she went for the most painful punishment available."

"And Damon?"

"She made me call him and ask for help. He found me, brought me back here, then went back after her."

"But why would he do that? If he was already free of her, why return?"

"He's trying to stop her…."

"Why would that take three days? And stop her doing what?"

"First, the older we are, the more power we have. Katherine is three times as old as both Damon and I. That's a great big obstacle and makes killing her difficult. As for what Katherine is up to, she has something strange going on with her family line. Every hundred years or so, a human girl is born that could be Katherine's twin. Katherine hunts these girls down and kills them."

The memory of a very scary, very angry vampire bellowing "Katarina" outside Damon's foyer only a week before slipped through her mind.

"Oh God. It's me, isn't it?"

That's when the whole image began to slip into place for Elena. Things that had been fuzzy around the edges for years, suddenly became clear. Her uncle telling her and Jeremy those stories, passed down from generation to generation. Her home basically laced with vervain. The ring that Uncle John had made for her. He knew. He must've known what was going to happen. That made her wonder if her parents knew, too. That she would be a walking target for a crazy female vampire that was out for her blood because they wore a common face….

Then she thought about the fact that she had lost three family members in six months and her heart seized in her chest.

"She's already been here hasn't she?"

Stefan's voice sounded sad. "Yes."

Her voice caught in her throat for a minute, but she forced past it. "My parents…?"

"Katherine. She usually wipes out the family that produced the child."

Tears swam in her eyes. _Because of me. They died because of me. John too, probably._

Ric came up behind her and scooped her up off the floor and into his arms. Stefan from the cell called "Is she okay?" He could hear the sobbing.

"No. But give her a minute. I'm gonna try to calm her down. I'll be back to check on you shortly."

She heard Stefan call "Elena, I'm sorry."

Elena was sitting on the kitchen bar where she'd eaten eggs a few days before. Ric had set her there to get her some water and try to help her calm down. After a few gulping sobs and some dawning horror, she had lost it just a bit.

"You heard."

"Yeah. I heard. I was trying to make sure you didn't get too close." Ric shrugged.

"Do you know where Damon is? Has he really not called you either?"

"Not a word, Elena. And what Stefan told you down there was news to me too."

She hopped off the counter and headed back down the hallway again. She rounded the corner and pounded down the hallway, angry this time.

"Stefan!" She heard him rustle and come to the door. She stood just outside it with her arms crossed, angry.

"Hello again." He looked sheepish. "How long have you known all of what you told me?"

"Just since I went to New Orleans. I mean, Damon and I already knew that your resemblance to Katherine was strange, but we couldn't figure it out. So I headed down there to where she has a branch of family to see if I could trace what was happening. While I was there, she caught my scent."

"Do you have any idea what's happened to Damon?"

He looked down then. "I remember Katherine being pretty angry that he was involved with you. I think I was bait more than anything." He looked up then. "I think she's probably got him. Which won't be pretty."

"Do you know where they are?"

"Listen, Elena. I know you're upset, but you can't go barging down there and get yourself killed. That might even be what she's counting on."

"I'm not stupid, Stefan. Of course I won't do that, but give me the location she's using."

"I can't do that."

"You can." She reached for the handle on the door.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm coming in there. You're going to tell me one way or the other."

"But I'll probably kill you." He was backing away from the door.

"And have to restart a painful detox. According to you, I'm already dead anyway. So what do I have to lose? Either you kill me or she does. Do you really want that on your conscience?"

She clanged the door once making to unlock it.

"Stop!" Stefan yelled at the sound. "Alright. I'll give you the address."

She wrote it down and headed back down the hallway. She heard Stefan say "Maybe you're an even better match for Damon than I thought."

Ric was again around the corner just out of sight waiting on her. He fell in step with her. "You have a plan."

"I do."

"Would you really have gone in there with him?"

"Nope."

He laughed. "You should get an Emmy for that performance. You had me convinced. Him too, for that matter."

"John was also an amazing poker player." She gathered her purse. "He spent years helping me perfect a good bluff."

Ric stopped her at the front door. "You aren't headed there;" He pointed at the address in her hand, "are you?"

"I don't know that yet." She hung her head for a minute, trying to think. "But I have to help Damon."

But it wasn't entirely true. She knew exactly what she was going to do, and if it required she go there, then she would. She dug into the back of her wallet for the small slip of paper still lodged there. She pulled out her cellphone on the way down the driveway. A few digits later someone picked up.

She said "Are you the tailor?"

The man on the other end laughed, and then agreed that he was. She said "Will you ask Elijah to call me at this number, please? Tell him I have a gift for him."

And so she waited. It took two minutes for her phone to ring.

He was laughing when she picked up, clearly delighted. "So, little Elena. Beautiful, funny and smart too. You continue to surprise me."

"I'm just a box of chocolates, Elijah."

"Mr. Taylor is my secretary."

Elena laughed. "I thought that might be the case."

"So, what is it you needed?"

She explained what was happening. At the mention of Katherine's name, Elijah became very serious. She knew she was right. Katherine and Elijah's "Katarina" were one and the same.

"So I can give you the address where she was seen last, about two and a half days ago. But in exchange I just ask that if Damon is there, that you help get him out. And if he's not there, that you call me to let me know."

"Done." Was his answer.

"Will you kill her, Elijah?"

"Yes, Elena, I will." He sounded like he regretted having to say it. But she felt nothing but relief.

Bonus. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. "Do you have a pen?" Elijah chuckled under his breath at her abruptness.

He took the address down and then said "Remind me not to underestimate you, little Elena."

Eighteen hours later, Damon walked through the door of his home again. He was a little ragged. His clothes were torn and bloodied, but he was back.

It seemed that Damon never really saw much. One moment he was feeling like his guts were being torn out, one of Katherine's favorite tricks, and the next minute she was gone and he was free. _Strange._

Elena said nothing, just glad that he was back. Blood or not, she hugged him while Ric looked at her over Damon's shoulder with one eyebrow up. Damon went to clean up and when the shower came on, Ric looked at Elena.

"What did you do, little girl?" She made a sound of denial and he overrode it with a hard stare.

Giving up the innocent act, she said "I made a deal with the devil, Ric. The fastest way to beat an old, mean vamp is to know an older, meaner one."

Ric could only shake his head. She had been telling the truth at his house on Saturday. He and his "condition" were not the strangest things she had seen since she stared seeing the vampire.

XXXXXXXXXX

It had been too many long, stressful, terrible days and now it was done. Elena couldn't be happier but she could feel something hanging in the air anyway. She welcomed a night with Damon again. They had no plans, no obligations, no visitors and all she could think was _Alone at last_.

There were things that were still left unsaid between them, certainly, but for now, they could wait.

Stefan was better, if not exactly speaking to her. She figured he would get over that. She did what she had to do to help his brother. He would come around.

Together she and Damon drank a glass of red wine and sat in front of the fire in the hall. He was quiet, which worried her. No sarcasm, and very little teasing. She understood that he might have some worries about Stefan and what had happened with Katherine. She hoped he would talk to her, but he was silent on the subject. They sat together, his arms around her on the leather couch.

"I was thinking about something. We started a discussion a few nights ago that we haven't had the chance to finish." He had gathered her long, dark hair at the nape of her neck and pushed it all to one side. His hands gentle.

"A discussion? About what?"

"You remember. We were on our way back from dinner with your friends. You told me that the car I drive helps you overlook my more unattractive traits." Elena chuckled. _That had rankled._ _Good._ _Can't have him forever being so sure of himself. Better to be a little off balance._

"Oh, yes. I do remember now." She smiled to herself.

"What did you mean, exactly?" He put his face then against her skin, his nose behind her ear as he breathed her in. She had never known someone so intrigued with scent. Although his skin was clean shaven, there was a slight rub of whiskers against her in the few places he actually touched her. Trying not to gasp with surprise she said. "Well, you can pick whichever you want. There's the drinking like a fish." He shifted then and was close to her ear. _Distracting._

"There's that nasty habit of yours of leaving off important details." She was thinking of Katherine and the ensuing drama over the last few days. But they would have that discussion later. He was at her collar bone, pulling in her scent there. _Was he going to kiss her, already? These skimming, less than half touches, so close to him were scrambling her brain._

"The only thing you know how to cook is eggs…." She felt a huff of air and his cheek graze her skin as he smiled to himself. But still he wasn't really touching her, just hovering over her neck, collarbone, shoulder.

"And you drive too fast…"

"Well, you have me pretty neatly wrapped up, don't you?" He turned her around and hovered over her lips. She tried to pull him down to her lips, but couldn't. He was entirely too strong for that. And he was holding her in place. He did the same over her face, her jawbone, pulling in her scent and not quite touching….basically trying to drive her crazy.

She made a noise of frustration and he smiled. "You know what you have to do, Elena."

For a moment she was baffled and then she thought of how this conversation had started. So she said "Well, I guess the cooking doesn't really matter. I can cook pretty well for myself." That earned her a mind drugging kiss, but he pulled away and went back to that blasted distance between them. _Damn._

"And the driving, well, who doesn't drive too fast sometimes…." Another kiss, longer, sweeter, rougher too. And then he pulled back again. _Damn him._

"Awww hell, Damon. I take it all back. You are perfect in every way and you damned well know it." And then she was in his arms, wrapped in tenderness and roughness and joy. She knew just how to meet that with some of her own.

_Two days of Katherine's efforts to break him and all he had been able to think about was whether this little girl thought he was a monster. That had been his concern when she mentioned "unattractive traits" and it had just kept echoing in his head. God, how he loved her. Now how to keep her safe…._


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Things were back to normal for Elena, with normal being a relative description, naturally.

Damon was back to his old self, sarcastic, smart, annoying and distracting. No one was going to try to kill her anytime soon. They had a new mutual friend in Alaric. He contributed to keeping Damon occupied when Elena was or wasn't around. After school, she often ended up at Damon's house watching them play chess, which she was completely hopeless at.

During one game, she said with mock innocence, "I don't understand why the King is so important. It's the Queen that runs the show, anyway…" That had earned her mirrored dirty looks from the two of them that she met with a wide grin. After that she was temporarily banished and only allowed to return to watching if she did so without comments or questions.

She and Damon even had a conversation about Alaric eventually.

"It's great that we can all hang out. But you just see that you don't like him _too_ much." He had one of his half smiles on, but she could see that it didn't quite reach his eyes. _Hmmmm…insecure. Really? Does the man not own a mirror?_

She had smiled at him and rolled her eyes. "Please. He's great and all, but I'm allergic to animal dander…."

Damon had laughed. She was getting better and better at that…making him laugh.

The only dark cloud left over everything was Stefan. He wouldn't look at her. Period.

She decided to try to talk to him.

While Damon and Ric played chess and drank, she watched for a while and then wandered down the hallway to Stefan's rooms. His door was open, but she didn't go in. She respected boundaries as they were forced to. It seemed only fair. She knocked lightly on the doorsill and he looked up from his desk, met her eyes and looked back down to what he had been doing without a word.

"Stefan, can we talk for a minute, please?" She was going for her most humble.

She heard a sigh.

"Sure, Elena. Come on in." She sat on a bench near the door.

Now that she was here, she didn't know where to start. "I….um…." He looked up and into her eyes. His eyes were a deep green. She had never noticed that.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry." She finally was able to spit out.

"Sorry for…?" _Wow, he must really be angry. He was making this as difficult as possible._

"I'm sorry I was so hateful to you while you were recovering." He looked down then and away. "I had a good reason, Stefan, or I wouldn't have done that."

His eyes narrowed a bit while he turned that over in his head, it seemed. Then he turned to face her, sideways in his chair. His green eyes and expression became earnest.

"I understand that you love my brother, Elena. But I could've hurt you. I _would've_ _killed_ you. I don't know what it is you think you're doing here. All of this isn't a game. People die around us. Both of us."

Damon stepped into the room, his blue eyes dark and wary, narrowed just a bit.

"What's going on, guys?"

And like an idiot, Elena nearly jumped out of her skin in guilty surprise.

"Oh, God, you and that "ninja mode" are gonna kill me." She huffed at him, laughing. He didn't smile. "I got bored and wandered over here to talk to Stefan for a minute." That got her a single eyebrow raised at her.

"Well then I clearly need to work harder to keep you entertained." He took her hand and led her out of Stefan's room without a word to his brother.

XXXXXXXXXX

Elena decided that the only way to really talk to Stefan and try to make things right was to talk to him at lunch at school. Stefan usually sat under a tree alone during lunch. He was basically a lone wolf, she supposed.

At lunch she took her sandwich and bottle of water and joined him under his tree. He heard her coming, of course.

Before she could sit down he held up a hand. "This isn't a good idea, Elena."

"I just want to talk, Stefan, please."

He sighed and after a moment gestured to the grass beside him.

"I just wanted to say that I need for you to forgive me." He turned to look at her then, clearly surprised.

"Why?"

"Because you're his brother. He loves you. I love him. There needs to be peace between us." For her it seemed so simple she was surprised she had to explain. "I don't like this tension."

Stefan absorbed that for a moment. "Can you promise me you won't do anything like that again?"

"I promise, cross my heart." She made the gesture like a schoolgirl and he grinned.

"Would it make you feel any better if I told you that you would've been sick immediately if you had bit me?" Her eyes twinkled and he was completely lost.

"I don't understand."

She explained about the vervain in the water supply at her home. A water supply she had been able to find out was driven by a well under the house. She had been dosing on vervain from birth. She was probably saturated in it.

Stefan laughed long and hard. "Somebody is a genius." And yes, it did make him feel better, worry less about her being suicidal. She was even craftier and more resourceful than he had thought.

"Will you tell me what you did with what I told you? Because I know somehow you got to Katherine, I just work out how you did it." His green eyes were scanning her face and she studied his wary smile.

"Nope." She smiled back.

He just shook his head. "Alright, fair enough." After a minute he said "You are good for him, you know?"

She smiled and slugged his arm, "Yeah, I know."

_Across the trimmed lawn, twenty feet off the edge and into the trees, a pair of blue eyes glittered in the shadows, watching. He couldn't hear what they were saying from this distance with so much noise to interfere. But the tire jack in his chest had begun to spread his ribs again. Only now it was wrapped in barbed wire apparently. This whole scene looked strangely familiar. As he turned away, unable to watch anymore, the tree he had been leaning on creaked and then fell over taking two more with it on its way down._

Elena noticed that Damon was quiet when she arrived and dropped her keys in the bowl next to the door. He was sitting on the couch and she leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek from behind.

_Damon had taken all day to think about how he would respond to this turn of events. Years ago, with Katherine, he had genuinely believed he was in love. He had seen that she was attracted to his younger brother and had tried with flirtation and subtlety to keep her attention on him. As best he could tell at the time he had been successful. It was only later, when the horror of everything came to the light of day that he found that he had been wrong. She had been sleeping with his brother and with him, twisting them both into knots. Katherine had known that would be the surest way to hurt him._

_ Now, with Elena, who seemed to be everything he had hoped Katherine was all those years ago was starting the same game. The flirtation, the secrets, the covert conversations were happening all over again. But watching this time was more than he could bear._

_ He knew, because of Elena, that what he had felt for Katherine had been a mere shadow of what love could be. He also knew that Elena was basically still a child compared to him and he could hardly blame her when it was he that wasn't enough. But the anger and the hurt still burned. _

_ He struggled with what to do. He could let her go, let her be Stefan's if that was what she wanted. But he didn't know if he had the strength for that. He could confront her, as he never had Katherine, and force her to change, but that would require he set aside any pride he might still have left. _

_ These were the things in his mind when two small arms came around his neck and two sweet lips planted themselves on his cheek. He had been so caught up in his thoughts that he had not noticed the time, had not even heard her come in. _

_ Heart aching, in a lighting move, he turned, pulled her over the back of the couch and onto his chest kissing her with all that he felt. Instantly responsive, she ran her hands along his chest and he responded with a groan. One look from her, one touch and he was lost. He couldn't let her go. He needed her too much. Maybe he loved her enough that he could share? God, he didn't know if he could do that either. _

Elena caught Damon's passion easily and ran with it. He kissed her like he was starving, like he had waited all day to do just this and the idea drove her a little mad. The idea that this wonderful, sweet, dangerous man would need her so much ignited something in her.

She pushed up his shirt and ran her hands along the skin hidden there. She stopped occasionally, pressing her lips to the heat here and there as an angle appealed. He growled deep in his chest as she touched him, moving under her hands and lips as if he couldn't help himself.

_He watched her move across his skin and knew he couldn't live without this, without her. He had no answers for what to do, but he needed her, this, like nothing he had ever tasted. He was a fool and sadly, knew he was a fool._

She kissed his lips again, drawing the lower, fuller lip in and sucking on it just a bit. Her hands wandered further down than before and he gasped into her mouth his hips rising off the couch, carrying both of them upwards with the momentum. Then he answered her by nipping both of her lips at once and so they moved together, lost in the passion. _Damned clothes. _He stripped her sweater away, and peeled at her jeans quickly, discarding them on the floor of the den. She was not so kind. His shirt was long gone, but she took her own sweet time taking his pants off. For every inch of skin revealed, she stopped to kiss or lick and his heart galloped in his chest. _Good lord, where did she learn that? And was she trying to kill him? Again?_

It was like that this that they were interrupted. Stefan closed the foyer door and both of them froze. Elena poked her head over the back of the couch, followed shortly by Damon, who was clearly beneath her. Both of them were only visible from the shoulders up. Stefan started to laugh.

"Guys. This is a boarding house. We have fifteen bedrooms. Use one, will ya? Really." He shook his head turning the corner, careful not to get more of an eyeful than he had already.

Elena shrugged and went back to business.

"Aren't you embarrassed?" Damon asked on a gasp. He was frankly amazed. The usual female response would be to run for cover in this type of situation. She was already back to nipping with her teeth and kissing away the pain. Driving him crazy, in other words.

She sat up and looked at him. "No." The look she wore said she thought he was smarter than to have to ask. "I'm here. With you. Where I should be. What is there to be embarrassed about in that?"

Baffled and overcome with her words, he rolled her onto the floor gently and made love to her right there.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's note:** I**t's been a little longer since I've added a new chapter than normal. My apologies. I have really struggled with writing this chapter. You'll see why in a minute. I love Delena enough that I went into this chapter fighting tooth and nail trying to avoid more drama between them. (Chapter 12 was me fighting that same battle, too, for that matter.) But the two of them were just having none of that. They almost insist on fighting. I'm going to blame where they go on Damon and the fact that he's nearly 200 years old and has not a single successful relationship under his belt. Unfortunately a pretty face doesn't cover the whole emotional cripple thing. Poor guy. We gotta love him.**

**I appreciate your taking time to read and care about them with me. Review if you don't mind. Those reviews mean the world to me and give me fuel for the writing.**

Chapter 13

_And so, admitting that he was a complete fool, he realized that he couldn't give her up and he couldn't share her because the very thought filled him with rage. He loved her. He began to see the appeal of stuffing a woman in a tower somewhere away from the world. He would like very much to do just that. He had spent several lifetimes without her. Now he had her. So now, how to keep her? _

"Elena, these are for you. They were just delivered."

Elena looked up from her window seat and stood to take the flower vase from her aunt. "Those are really beautiful. Are they from Damon?" Jenna shrugged. "I don't know. Here's the card. I think those are gardenias. What a lovely scent." Jenna stood waiting, smiling, while she opened the card. As she read the card, Elena sank onto the bed, white faced.

"What's wrong, honey?"

She had forgotten her aunt was still there. "Oh, nothing, Jenna. I'm fine. These are from a friend that Damon introduced me to. Just a nice thank you for something I did for him." She smiled bravely at her aunt to dispel the concern.

The flowers were from Elijah. The card said only "It is done. Thank you for the gift. -E" She was certain that this meant that Katherine was dead. When she had left her first message for Elijah on the subject, she had said "Tell Elijah that I have a gift for him." So Elena and her family were safe. But it filled her with a cold chill that it was now a month later and it was just now "done". The thought made her stomach churn.

Dangerous. Damon had said he was dangerous. Clearly that was not an exaggeration.

Still chewing on that, Elena laid down the card and went for her shower.

When she returned to her room wearing only a towel and her hair lying in wet ringlets across her back and shoulders, she found Damon sitting on her window seat. It wasn't unusual for him to visit her here, unannounced, but he seemed odd, tense. She closed the door behind her and went toward him, but he stopped her approach with a single hand held in the air.

As if speaking caused him pain, he held up the card for the flowers between two fingers. He didn't look up, just gestured with the card at her. Elena froze. Damon seemed to sense it and slowly brought his eyes up and to her face. He was leaned forward, elbows on his knees, as if he would be sick, looking up at her now.

His face tightened, his blue eyes narrowed as he said "What is this, Elena?"

He thought the worst and was waiting for her to confirm it.

"I can explain." She felt a little desperate. She could see that he was drawing conclusions that had no bearing on reality.

In an attempt to stop the onslaught she could see his imagination was firing at him, she said "Damon, I love you. You know that, don't you?"

"I thought I did, Elena. I kept telling myself it was ridiculous to think that I could be such a fool twice. But here I stand, with the evidence in my hand."

"Damon, that is evidence of nothing because I have done nothing. Please listen." She took another step toward him and the hand came up again stopping her.

"You'll forgive me if I think I have listened long enough." He threw the card down on the bed. "The irony here is that I had worried about you seeing me as a monster. I was never going to be monster enough, though, was I? Elijah can fit that bill as I never will. What a twist….and gardenias. How apt. Did you know that men in my day gave gardenias to their mistresses?" He stood slowly as if it caused him pain and came within a breath of touching her, then stopped.

"Damon, I haven't…" He put a single finger to her lips. Then he moved a step closer and slid both of his hands into the back of her wet hair. She heard the skin on his hands sizzle with the contact. The vervain laced water she bathed in was hurting him, but he gave no sign. He kissed her, it was sweet and tender and brought tears to her eyes. Her wet hair brushed his face leaving a trail of blisters that healed as he leaned away. "How cliché." His lips were a sad twist and a poor parody of a smile. "Look, but don't touch or you'll get burned." He turned slowly, betraying agony in the line of his shoulders, the turn of his head and slipped out the window, his hands still healing as he went.

Elena sank onto the floor and cried.

And then she got angry.

Elena wanted to go after him and stand over him with a stake at his chest until he listened to her. But she would never use it and he would know that. That would never work. They would just end up yelling and hurting each other more. Yes, maybe she should've explained about Elijah and Katherine weeks ago, but she certainly wasn't sleeping with the other man. She barely knew him. But Damon never even gave her a chance to speak. He was so busy drawing conclusions, the WRONG conclusions that she couldn't get a word in edgewise. The more she thought of that, the angrier she got.

He had been _expecting_ her to be unfaithful him. That was what he had said, that he was telling himself that it wasn't true, but now he had "evidence". _Bastard_. If he wanted an explanation now, he would damned well have to come and ask for it.

So Elena controlled her first and second and third impulses which were all the same. To barge over to Damon's home and harass him into listening to her. She still loved him, but she couldn't live under a cloud of suspicion every day of her life either. And if he didn't trust her at all, then they had nothing to work with. That thought choked her, but it was true.

Fueled by hurt and anger, she set about her life to appear as if none of it had ever happened. She didn't let any distress show. She smiled, she joked, she set about trying to appear to enjoy her life again. Some of her friends didn't even know she and Damon weren't seeing each other anymore, until she would mention it with a shrug.

Ric was right. She could've won an Emmy with her acting skills.

Ric watched her in history class with suspicion. He appeared not to understand what was happening, and to be genuinely confused by her behavior. She had been doing a pretty good job of avoiding talking to him one on one, but couldn't get out of it when he announced that he needed to see her after class.

She stopped at his desk.

Worried hazel eyes took in her appearance. Although she seemed fine, it didn't bear up under close inspection. "Are you alright?"

"Of course I'm alright, Mr. Saltzman." Big smile. "Thanks for asking."

"Elena." He reached out and took her hand. Her smile slipped a little.

"I'm fine, Ric."

"I say you're not and putting on a pretty snazzy show." Her face fell apart at that. And she looked honestly at Ric. He saw then the pain in her eyes.

"I can't let my world fall apart because he doesn't want me, Ric." One shoulder went up and came down masquerading as a careless shrug.

"I could say a lot of things right now, Elena, but that wouldn't be one of them. He's hurting. It's bad over there."

"He won't listen to me. I can't be trusted." Her eyes filled with tears.

Ric had no idea what they had fought about but was aghast. "Idiot."

She nodded. "Exactly."

XXXXXXXXXX

It was Saturday. A Saturday for her and Bonnie. Bonnie had taken one look at her and seen the damage. When you know someone since preschool, that's what happens. Bonnie had tried to talk to her, but Elena was silent as a tomb. She was usually the big mouth about feelings in their little group, and confided everything in Bonnie, but the two of them had been sitting at lunch when Elena slipped her a note that said "I can't discuss this until you and I are completely alone and NO ONE could over hear." So that became Saturday.

And so, Bonnie being Bonnie, she was ready for anything. She ushered Elena to her room where the blinds were already closed with a finger to her lips. She glanced at each corner of the room where a bowl of herbs ignited and tufts of smoke began to rise. Then she smiled.

"White willow bark. And I have a huge bag of the stuff that would last us a week, if we needed it. No one will be able to hear us now." Elena promptly burst into tears and Bonnie wrapped her arms around her friend. Elena gave Bonnie everything, sharing all the details, all the horror of the last couple of months and Bonnie was angry, embarrassed, laughing, terrified and furious in all the right places. Bonnie was the best. And opening up was cathartic and what Elena needed more than anything.

"Oh my god, Elena. Why has it taken you so long to tell me all of this?"

Elena hung her head. "Part of the time I was so busy trying to keep up that I didn't feel like I had time to take a breath. The other part of the time I was so terrified I would drag someone else into our drama and get them hurt. I'm sorry. I've missed you so much."

Elena had left out the details leading to a certain naked werewolf/ history teacher. That was Ric's secret and she would never speak of it. She did itch to share the image though, considering that she knew Bonnie thought he was hot.

_Privately Bonnie would like very much to meet this Elijah person. The thought that a vampire could work magic, even just removing it was fascinating. And Elena's description didn't hurt any, either. And it was completely fascinating that the compatibility spell had brought two vampires to Elena before it was removed. Strange. Most people went their whole lives not knowing that vampires exist, and her best friend could potentially have met the perfect mate in not one, but two of them. She didn't want to mention to Elena the full extent of that "compatibility" spell they had so innocently done so long ago or its implications. Right now she thought that would just hurt Elena more. But Bonnie didn't particularly like the idea of her best friend paired with any vampire, regardless. Vampires scared the hell out of her. She had read too many grimoires that detailed their exploits of witches not to be wary of them. When she had met Damon she had begun to research, sensing the degree of power in him. This Elijah guy would probably blow her socks off. She might do some research on him and see if there was anything she could track down later…._

When Elena was ready, the two of them went to dinner together. It had been too long since they had been out together, just the two of them. They sat at a booth together laughing. Matt had been promoted to server and was taking their order, looking embarrassed (and eating Elena up with his eyes….poor guy).

It was then that the air got sucked out of the room for Elena. Suddenly Damon was standing beside Matt, looking down at her.

He said only "Elena." and inclined his head at her in a nod.

Elena was speechless.

Bonnie, fury in her eyes, swept Damon with a blistering glance before she turned to her friend and said "Look Elena. It's just like that story they told us in Sunday school. A jackass that talks."


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's note: Quick turn around here. They are both doing So. Much. Whining. in my head…. LOL (No, I'm really not crazy –My dad had me tested -big smile-, these two have just joined the whole host of other characters that live in my imagination. These two just complain louder right now... sigh.)**

Chapter 14

Matt sputtered out an unintentional laugh.

Damon treated Bonnie to a narrow eyed smirk before he turned back to Elena stiffly. His attitude implied that Bonnie wasn't worth his time.

"There's something that Ric has out at the boarding house you should see." His expression was faintly mocking, the blue eyes sweeping over her face sending a shiver down her spine. _He hates me. _

Elena shifted her gaze to Matt and smiled sweetly. "Can I have lemon with my iced tea, please?" Matt snapped out of his fascination with the drama and smiled back at her. "Sure, Elena. Coming right up." He wandered away to get their order going.

Dropping the smile, she turned back to Damon and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't have _any_ interest in _anything_ out there, Damon."

"I understand that." He made those three small words sound bitter, injecting meaning there beyond this conversation. "But this will be different. Just come by there some time tonight. Ric will be waiting." He leaned one hand on the table. "Feel free to bring Brunhilda here." He turned to Bonnie again with some sarcastic remark on his mind, but his hand on the table started to burn. He snatched it away and the palm was blistered. Confused, he looked at the plain wooden table and then at Bonnie, whose smile melted into a sneer. She said, "That would be great, Elena. Why don't we go? It might be fun."

Damon shrugged to say it was nothing to him either way and walked away without a goodbye.

Elena was still breathless and unable to speak even after he was gone. She didn't trust her voice because she knew that whatever she said he would be able to hear from three blocks away. Bonnie knew that too when she leaned across the table and winked at her conspiratorially.

"Wow, exes suck don't they?" then she paused for effect, "But I gotta give Matt credit, he's working those jeans tonight. And woooooohooooo! He. Was. Eatin.' You. Up. Girl." She even rolled her eyes grinning.

Elena laughed long and hard, knowing what Bonnie was doing. But to an observer Elena's laugh came out sounding like she was happy about the prospects of Matt and his interest. Part of the brass door handle came off in Damon's hand on the way out the door of the bar. He dropped it to the ground and kept going.

XXXXXXXXXX

Elena and Bonnie ate their meals, laughed, talked and acted like they were two girls with not a care in the world. Elena decided they would go by the Salvatore place, but honestly couldn't think of a single thing that Ric could have for her. The curiosity alone was more than she could take. She felt pretty sure that Damon wouldn't be there. He seemed to imply that he wasn't going to be, but Bonnie disagreed. "He is a junkie, girl. He's got it bad. He'll be there, twiddling his claws all night if he has to, hoping for a fix." Elena just didn't see it.

Somewhere around ten the two girls took Elena's car to the Salvatore house. Damon answered the door, and Bonnie wore an "I told you so" smile for Elena. Instead of greeting them, he left the door open and turned back into the room, assuming they would follow.

Ric was sitting with a glass of bourbon, easily three sheets to the wind. It seemed they both were. Elena hugged his neck. "What's this about, Ric?"

He pointed down the hallway. "Go take a look in Stefan's old cell. Don't open it though, Okay?"

"Oh no. Is Stefan okay?" That earned a snort of derision from Damon who was facing the fire, away from all of them.

From behind her, Stefan said "I'm here Elena, I'm fine." He took her hand, leading her down the hall. "It's all good. We all just thought you should know." Bonnie started to follow, and Stefan turned to Elena. "Does Bonnie know?" His meaning was clear.

"I knew what you were the minute I touched your skin passing papers in English class, Stefan. No worries. I'm a witch. Elena didn't have to tell me anything." Another rude snort from Damon followed them down the hallway.

They approached the door and Elena stood on tiptoe to see in. On the floor, against a far wall was a man. He was thin, painfully so. He was completely still and appeared to be asleep or unconscious. His clothes were torn and easily two sizes too large. The too large clothes were crusted in blood and dirt. But something about him seemed familiar, then his head turned, eyes still closed, and the light hit is face. "Oh my GOD! That's John! John! It's me, Elena! John!" She was pulling at the door, trying to get in there. And screaming. Hysterical. Damon, who hadn't even been in the hall with them just a second ago, suddenly had his arms around her, restraining her. She turned in his arms and put her face against his chest sobbing. "Please let me see him. Please?" She just wanted to get her arms around her uncle. Damon tried to calm her. "Shhhhhh, it's ok. He's sick, honey. He was starved, probably for weeks at least. We're helping him but this is going to take time. He won't recognize you yet. He would hurt you if you went in there."

The other two went back down the hallway, leaving Damon to comfort her.

Tears streaking her face she looked up into earnest blue eyes. "You mean he's a…." Damon nodded sadly. "Ric found him during a sweep of the western edge of town. We've been trying to keep this area clear of anything unfriendly. Ric subdued him easily, because he was so weak. When he brought him here, I recognized him from a picture of the two of you together that you keep in your room. That and the ring he was wearing. It's identical to yours."

She remembered herself then. She pulled out of his arms, "I'm okay now. I won't go in. I just want to look at him for a minute." The tears continued to run down her face as she looked at him through the bars on the window. John was alive. Her Uncle John, the maybe hunter who died before she and Damon had even started dating was suddenly alive again. He had told her about vampires and werewolves, stories, for years and she, along with the rest of their family, thought he was a little crazy. And then he was just gone. But there was more time again, now. She was smiling and laughing and crying all at once, covering her mouth with her hand.

It was like that that she turned to Damon, who was studying her. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you." As she went to pull away, he caught her lightly by the end of her hair and pulled her back to him, kissing her. When he pulled away, it was her turn to study him, her eyes wary and searching his face. He leaned forward and rested his forehead on hers, drawing in her scent brushing her tears away with his hands. "I miss you." She drew in close to him, kissing him soundly until his breath was harsh in his chest and then she pulled away. "I miss you, too. Fix this Damon. This is your fight. Fix it so we don't have to miss one another anymore." One last brush of her lips against his and she moved away.

_She got up then and went back down the hallway leaving him feeling lost. He didn't have a clue how to fix anything. Or what she even meant for that matter._

At the end of the hallway, her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and turned it over. Oh dear. She swallowed, and then swallowed again.

"Hello, this is Elena."

"Elena, Elijah here. I only have a moment but wanted you to know I have sent you a gift."

Careful not to say his name, she said "There's no reason for that."

"I think you'll disagree this time."

She didn't know what to say to that.

"Don't you want to know what to expect?" He was laughing at her, seeming to sense her tension.

"Um….." She was thinking that whatever it was would no doubt have to be sent back. The flowers had caused enough trouble.

"I was cleaning out one of Katherine's houses. Not a pleasant task, but I found something that belonged to you, I think. He smelled of you, and he wore a ring like yours. I fed him and compelled him to go home."

She froze midstride. She had reached the den by then and the others were talking together, taking no notice of her.

"You're saying that Katherine had John?" That got the room's attention. They all turned to her to stare.

"If that is the man's name that has your ring, then yes. She did. Is he someone important?"

The whole room had gone quiet. Damon was standing behind her, hearing every word. "Yes, Elijah. That was my uncle. I thought we buried him weeks ago. I've been very upset. Thank you for that. This means the world to me. Thank you." She was crying again.

"Don't cry, little Elena. Your uncle is alive." He sounded completely confused when he heard her snuffle.

"These are happy tears. Thank you again."

"You are fascinating, little one. Good night."

"Good night, Elijah."

Damon had to walk away. And then he came back sensing information he didn't have was forthcoming.

"What was that all about, Elena?" Bonnie was so going to grill her now.

"That was Elijah. He called to tell me he ran across my uncle and had sent him home. John was in some sort of "house" that they were cleaning out after Katherine's death."

Stefan sat up at this point. "How do you know that Katherine's dead, Elena?"

"Because Elijah told me." She turned to Damon, her eyes accusing. "That was what the card for the flowers was about. He was telling me that Katherine is dead. He killed her."

And then the whole story came out. After an hour of talking, she looked up and everyone in the room was staring at her.

"What?"

"You hired a vampire hit. That's awesome." Stefan was grinning from ear to ear.

Ric quoted her from an earlier conversation. "The best way to beat an old mean vampire is to know an older, meaner one." The group laughed. "That's what she said to me at the time. God, Elena, you weren't kidding."

_Damon was horrified. This was why she had been in contact with Elijah. She had done this for him, even. He tried to picture what it must've been like for her with him gone, no idea where, no idea how to help. She used what she had available to her, a contact, some information and her wits. And he had punished her for it. Idiot._

_ He sat down in the furthest seat from the group and picked up a fresh drink. Bonnie wandered over beside him, unnoticed by the rest of the room. She looked down at him, her eyes hard. "See what I mean now? Jackass?"_

_ He raised his glass to her and nodded, his heart heavy. Yes, he got it. _

Bonnie almost felt sorry for him. Almost. She leaned in close and said "I've known her since preschool. Elena is the most loyal person to draw breath. She would dump your lousy ass before she'd lower herself to cheat. She's never even cheated on a spelling test for God's sake."

"I get the picture. Thanks." Was all Damon said.

_So now, not only was he not the one who would be doing the forgiving. He was the one that needed forgiveness. And he knew that was never gonna happen. "Fix this" she had said, but there was no fix now. She really was everything he had hoped for. And he really was so far off the scale in the other direction that wishing was pointless._

Elena finished her story and sat on the leather couch next to Ric. She hugged him saying "Thanks so much for finding my uncle." He just grinned and threw his arm around her. "It's all good, kid. We all have to work together, I think." He glanced across the room at Bonnie and Damon talking. "Does any of this change things with you and him?" Elena studied her fingernail, not meeting his eyes. "I'm not the one to ask. My feelings have not changed. He's the one that dumped me."

"Would you like to see for yourself what his feelings are?" Ric had an evil grin on his face. It was the night before a full moon and he would change tomorrow night. This night was his strongest in human form. Ric tended to be more aggressive on this night of the month, too. He was itching for a fight and he had watched the two of them hurting long enough.

"Can you turn on those acting skills?" Elena actually grinned up at him. "Like a tap."

Ric stood and took her hand, pulling her to her feet. "Go tell Bonnie that you're not staying at her place after all tonight." She looked shocked. Then she laughed. This really was a bad idea.

She felt the skin prickle on the back of her neck as Damon noticed them from across the room. She smiled up at Ric and leaned in close, pulling his ear down to her. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" She whispered in a suggestive tone, meaning just the words. And Ric smiled, understanding. "This is the best idea I've had in months. Come on. It'll be fun." He pressed a chaste little kiss to her cheek. "Go." He told her, smiling.

She walked over to where Bonnie was with Damon and asked her best friend if she could talk to her for a minute. Bonnie followed her into the next room where she knew Damon would hear everything. Before she started talking, she stopped and winked at Bonnie. Their universal symbol for "follow my lead."

"Listen, will you drive my car back to your place? I'm not coming back with you tonight."

"Seriously?" Bonnie grinned. The word came out strangled sounding like surprise.

"Yeah. Is that okay with you? You won't be mad, right?"

"Lord no. I just want details." Bonnie waggled her eyebrows and Elena laughed.

So the two ladies came back into the room and Elena went to take Ric's hand. They headed to the door as Ric called. "Well, goodnight everybody."

Before they got another step, Damon was up against the door, blocking their way. "What the hell's going on here?" He was speaking through a locked jaw and gritted teeth.

Ric pulled her against his side tightly, wrapping one arm around her possessively. "I'm taking Elena home." He didn't say whose home, but his grin implied it all.

"Oh, I'll just bet you are." Damon's slitted eyes almost closed in rage. The veins became visible on his face. In his fury the cool good looks disappeared completely.

"I don't get it, Damon." Ric sounded like a belligerent drunk, slurring his words. "She told me a few minutes ago that you were the one that dumped her. So what's it to you?"

"She said WHAT?" Damon moved so fast then, that Elena didn't see what happened for sure, but it appeared that he had chucked his friend off the front porch with both hands into a treeless part of the yard, near his car. "Take your own drunken wolfy ass home and sleep it off!" He yelled at him and then slammed the door. A minute later, she and Damon were staring at each other again against the front door. The lines had faded from his face. From outside, she heard Ric call, just outside the door again.

"Do you see what I mean, now, Elena?" He was laughing. Finding the whole thing hysterical.

Damon ignored him, taking in Elena's expression. "I didn't "dump" you." He denied quietly.

"Damon, you made it quite clear that you didn't want to see me anymore."

"Well then am I allowed to change my mind?"

"Not without an apology for the things you said, no. That and a promise to try to learn to trust me."

Her words gave him the hope he hadn't had in many days. He came in close to her and wrapped his arms around her, reveling in how she felt against him again. His eyes earnest, the pain of missing her reflected there, he said, "I'm so sorry I didn't trust you. Trust is new to me. I've never known anyone that deserved it, but that's no excuse. I'll do better with you, I promise." He pushed his face down and into her hair. "Please forgive me."

She pulled away and looked into his eyes. He looked so beautiful, so sweet. He had hurt too. "Of course I'll forgive you. But if you ever do anything like that to me again, I'm going to come after you with a wooden table leg for up your ass, I swear." He kissed her to stop the threats because he was sure there were more where that came from. This first one sounded painful enough all alone and he got the idea. He pulled away from her, not letting her go, _never letting her go again_, to stop when they both heard arrogant, self-satisfied laughing from outside the door.

He grinned, taking in her expression- which could only be called rueful. "Have I just been manipulated by a drunken werewolf?"

The laughter outside degenerated into snorts and half hiccupping guffaws.

"Yes, Damon, I think so." She kissed him again until he forgot the question he had asked.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Bonnie was headed to Elena's car to drive back to her house. She had to smile knowing that her friend was happy again, but she still worried about her. Vampires were dangerous. And Mr. Saltzman was a werewolf? What the hell? _Was there a Halloween convention in town or something?_

She heard a rustling in the darkness and hesitated only a moment before she extended her right hand, palm open and said "Fiat lux." The spell was her little private joke. A light appeared above her palm and glowed like a lamp, which now illuminated Ric standing beside a tree with his eyes covered.

"Let there be light? Really? That's your spell?"

She laughed dimming the light with a glance, "I guess you would speak Latin, wouldn't you, Mr. Saltzman. No one's ever caught my little joke before."

"Did I startle you? Is that why the magic flashlight?"

"Yeah, I heard movement. I though you would've been gone by now." She was grinning again. "That was an awesome thing you did in there, by the way."

He shrugged, looking embarrassed for a minute. Then he sighed. "Those two are a walking soap opera, I swear."

"I can see that. There in there right now doing the make-up sex thing." Bonnie rolled her eyes in the light from her palm.

Ric's inner wolf, the one that settled under his skin, the one that looked out from behind his eyes with ever increasing strength as each month wore on, hearing the sex reference, rumbled in interest. The thing he never talked about with anyone not also a "were" was the burn for sex that happened the closer he got to the full moon each month.

"He really does love her though, I think."

"I sure hope so, for his sake, because I hear her best friend can be a real bitch." She grinned, closing her palm and extinguishing the light without flourish.

"A witch, huh?" He sounded surprised.

"A werewolf, huh?" she echoed. "That was a real surprise tonight." She stepped up to him, seeing that his drunken haze was gone. "Why are you still here, anyway?"

"I wanted to make sure they were alright, so I was hoping someone would come out and I could go home peacefully. I figured I'd be pushing If I knocked." He shrugged, then considered what she had said. "You didn't know about me before tonight?" He had assumed Elena would've told her.

"Nope. Elena must've promised you she wouldn't tell. I didn't know until Damon was yelling at your "wolfy ass"." They both laughed. "I would've never pegged you for a werewolf, anyway." Her eyes swept him in the dimness.

He crossed his arms and leaned against Elena's car. He had Bonnie in one of his classes and had always thought she was beautiful, exotic almost. Her lovely dark honey colored skin and long hair were lovely, especially when combined with her amber colored eyes, which were alight with power until just a moment ago when she extinguished her spell.

"So you didn't out me like you did Stefan?" Her eyes swept him again and she smiled. "I've never touched you." _Ah, okay. It took touch for a witch to identify someone's core species. Cool. Got it. _

_ His wolf gave a low, interested grumble at the mention of her touching him. Down boy. _"You said you wouldn't have pegged me for a werewolf. What would you have pegged me for?" He was enjoying this little exchange. Even when her words weren't snarky, her tone was. She was a smart ass like he was.

"Well, if not all human, I would've thought an incubus if I had to guess." She shrugged a shoulder, watching his reaction.

He laughed long and hard. An incubus. A medieval myth. He knew that an incubus was a male sex demon. Mythological. Well…..when he considered that, so were vampires, werewolves and witches also considered mythological. Maybe he should clarify that by noting that he had never met an incubus. But what really made him laugh was that an incubus hunted women for sex and was known to be irresistible to them. Sex on legs.

_His wolf howled, long and high understanding the implications of this conversation before he did. _

Wait a minute. She said she had thought he might be an incubus. "Sex on legs". He took in her expression again and what he saw glittering there was a surprise. This beautiful young girl….wanted _him_? As a teacher of young people he was in the habit of pushing down thoughts like that because of propriety, but Bonnie was also a witch. Witches notoriously had an entirely different set of priorities about sex. Witches were not known to be promiscuous, just choosy and casual. Humans saw sex as a hand into relationships and marriage. Witches saw sex as a path to joy and to draw power in one form or another.

He stepped in close to Bonnie, who had come to lean on the car beside him as they talked. He took a deep breath, taking in her scent, lavender and musk. Arousal. _He was pretty sure the wolf would take off his head if he screwed this up._

"How old are you, Bonnie?" his gut was clenched as he waited for her answer.

She smiled up at him, her eyes alight again with power. The yellow flecks burst and writhed in the light that glowed there. "I turned eighteen in February, Ric."

"How would you feel about coming back to my place for a drink?" He asked the question, but didn't give her time to answer as he kissed her. She even tasted like warm honey.

She kissed him back, a sweet, warm woman's response and slid her hand into his. _The wolf was howling again and sidestepping in his glee._

Elena smiled as she finished waving at her friend and closed Damon's front door. She was thankful that Bonnie was seriously not upset with Elena for wanting to stay with Damon for the rest of the night. She had promised they would finish their girl's night next Saturday. Right now all she could think about was a certain dark haired vamp with an expression in his eyes as he looked at her that made her inner sex kitten want to stretch languidly and lick a paw.

She crossed the room to where he was standing, just watching her and wriggled into his arms wrapping his chest against hers. She flattened her palms against his back and ran them up and down his back slowly, something she knew he loved. She felt him stretch under her caresses for a moment before he leaned down and rested his chin on her shoulder, his face in her hair again, breathing her in.

_"God, Elena." It was all he could say. To be this close to her again, to be able to touch her again, seemed too good to be true. His chest ached as his heart seemed to swell. Her hands continued up and down his back and sides of his abdomen tenderly. His hands were doing the same to her, but he didn't even realize it. _

_ "I love you." She whispered it against his ear and he heard the sincerity, the relief she felt in saying those words again. He could hear it all in the smile in her voice._

_ "Those words don't seem to cover what I'm feeling right now." _

_ "Do you think we could go upstairs?" She was breathing near his ear and he felt a small tongue trace it, a kiss here and there. He shivered and felt her shivering response in answer._

_ "We can try." He wasn't sure he could navigate stairs right now._

_ But he managed when she turned away, taking his hand and led him up the steps. They got half way up before he pulled her back into his arms and swept her hair aside to kiss the back of her neck. He knew that spot was there, under the warmth of her hair and had been thinking about it for a week. He couldn't wait any longer. She gasped when he surprised her and then a low, restless sound came from her at his kiss. _

She turned in his arms then and their tongues met in a kiss that became a sensual dance. She found herself lowered to the stairs, her back against the hard wood, gasping. Damon was making that groaning, growling sound he made sometimes. The one that drove her crazy. The one that had kept her up at night when she wasn't near him. His hand reached for the clasp on her jeans and her brain transmitted the fact that they were still on the stairs. She took his hand in hers, panting, trying to speak.

"Wait, wait. Upstairs." _Not even a complete thought. Congratulations on your gift with articulation, Elena._

Damon leaned back and frowned and she worked for a second to make her brain synapses begin again. "I know that your brother can hear everything, and there's nothing I can do about that. But if we stay here on the stairs, he won't have to use his imagination if he wanders down the hall."

_Damon swallowed hard knowing she was right, but finding that his body didn't really care. He stood and took her hand, helping her up. He kissed her lightly on the lips, smiling and under his breath said "Damn you, Stefan." He heard his brother chuckling then from across the house, but he wasn't going to share that with Elena._

_ After two more stops along the way, one against the rail, one against a wall, they made it to his room. In the room, he wrapped her again in his arms and reveled in her closeness. His radio was still playing and he swayed with her just a bit to the rhythm of the music. It reminded him of that night in the bar when he'd dared her to dance with him and called his bluff. She moved against him then, with their lower bodies locked together, matching the rhythm of their own needs and the gentle music that filled the room. _

_After a minute or two of more of this wonderful torture, Damon sat on the bed and drew he between his legs. He put his ear against her chest, hearing her heart pumping madly. He had done that. All of that adrenaline, all of that desire and heat and spicy warm scent of her was all for him, and only him. "I need you, this, Elena." The words came out choked around the throat that had closed with emotion. Needing anything he couldn't either manipulate to get or just take was new to him. He felt like he was accepting defeat to her somehow. Nearly two hundred years of self-sufficiency had made him proud…and afraid. The insecure core of him felt like he'd just handed her a stake and asked her to put him out of his misery, but the words had come out anyway._

_ Elena, bless her, had somehow heard the undertone and understood. How exactly did she see into him like this? "Then we're both caught, Damon. Because I need this and you too. There is no winner here. I think this is part of what love is, needing one another. But it goes both ways."_

_ "But you didn't."_

_ "Didn't what, Damon?"_

_ "Need me." The words were quiet, pained._

_ She moved back to look into his eyes. "I don't know what you mean."_

_ "You just went right back to your life. I couldn't watch after a while." He looked down then, away from her._

_ "You were watching me. I knew it! I think I sensed you close by somehow. I was too proud to let you see how much I was hurting. I wanted you to believe I didn't give a damn."_

_ "Well, it worked."_

_ "That is the only lie I have ever told you, and I only said it with deceitful actions, not words. I missed you. I was destroyed, Damon."_

_ "Well, then, we are even." He smiled and pulled her to the bed._

There was no finesse this time. They made love with desperation. Hands, lips, kisses and whispers of love were all blended neatly in heat, limbs and tangled sheets.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Stefan stepped into the hallway hearing voices in the kitchen. He smelled something strange in the air. Was that….bacon?

He stepped around the corner to find Elena evidently trying to teach Damon to cook, which was laughable in itself. Elena stood beside the stove, arms crossed while Damon attempted to turn a blueberry pancake in a frying pan. Stefan knew himself that was no easy task for a pro. Damon was trying, and his efforts must've not been the most successful.

"There. See? This is impossible." Damon handed her the spatula. When he turned, Stefan saw that even though he was frustrated, he was smiling at Elena.

"No, it's ok. First try. These things just can't be rushed. That's all." She was attempting to salvage the pancake. Whatever she did must've made it worse because she started laughing. Damon was looking over her shoulder.

"Yeah, ok. You're terrible at this. And that has to be the ugliest pancake in history."

"You can eat it anyway." A lean shoulder shrugged.

"But it's ugly." Elena's lower lip came out in a pout and she turned to face Damon.

"Ugly still _tastes_ fine. I've eaten plenty of very ugly people, and they were _still _delicious." He said it with a smile, his eyes wide and rolling. He was at his most outrageous.

Stefan had to fight not to gasp out loud. Damon wasn't kidding. He really had done just that and here he was admitting it to her, a human. But Elena smiled.

"I know. I believe you. And I love you anyway." She said it with sing song sincerity. It sounded like she had said it a hundred times in the last hour and still meant every word.

So this was why Damon was changing so rapidly. She accepted him. And that made him want to be better….for her. Amazing. Stefan wondered idly where he could get one of those.

Because no one had noticed him yet, he backed up five or six steps, into the hallway and called "Hey guys, is that bacon?" before coming around the corner. He was learning to announce himself before he entered a room. He was less likely that way to see things that couldn't be unseen. And jabbing his mind's eye out was a last resort.

XXXXXXXXXX

Bonnie had dropped history to take a study hall. Weird. She said she had a low grade anyway and would rather take it in the summer at the local community college, but still. She didn't even give Elena a chance to talk her out of it. It was possible that Bonnie didn't like Mr. Saltzman. Or maybe she didn't like werewolves…. But then Bonnie also bailed on Elena's promise getting together on Saturday to make up for their girl's night. Double weird.

She resolved to catch up and pin Bonnie down very soon. Clearly _something_ was up.

John was getting stronger. He recognized her. He still wasn't ready for her to come too close, but they had wept together through the bars. He was afraid he would hurt her, and Damon assured her that John probably would at this point. She wanted more than anything to wrap her arms around her crazy dead uncle that wasn't crazy and wasn't dead. When she had told John that, he had smiled for the first time since she had seen him again. He made her heart ache as she watched him adjust to being a vampire. He seemed to be having a crisis of conscience. He talked with her about things that he had done, things that he felt responsible for, that had hurt her, her family, Jeremy. He confirmed for her that he had been hunter, raised and trained to fight what he had become. Katherine had found him while he hunted her after he had discovered the danger she represented to Elena. In her twisted heart, she found humor in making him a vampire against his will. She had planned to starve him, watch it happen slowly while he lived in a cage that was about six foot square, but Elijah had interrupted that plan.

Because she asked, John talked with her about the day that the house had been cleaned out. He had heard unfamiliar noise for the first time in days from behind his bars, other than the wailing and cries from the others that were populating this house for Katherine's twisted pleasure. He would hear cries that ended abruptly, but saw no sign of the cause, until someone stopped in front of his cage, and froze. The man had appeared from out of nowhere and destroyed the cage. John had struggled with the locks for hours, days, with no luck. All he had to do was touch them and his hands would light up with blisters and pain. Vervain probably. But this stranger had torn the door off its hinges with one hand. He had picked up John by his shirt and stopped to sniff the air. John said he dropped him to the ground again and John had thought of escape, but been unable to stand at all. A few minutes later he found a bag of blood next to him. He had drank, and then that was all he remembered.

Elena shivered thinking of Damon in a place like that. After the tale, she had gone to find him, sitting on the couch reading from an old, dusty book. She knew that he didn't like the idea of her alone with John, uncle or not, because of the danger until John had better control. But Damon did try to give her time with him anyway. Bless his heart.

She pushed his book aside and sat without preamble on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. There were tears in her eyes as she pressed her face into his neck.

_Damon didn't question being close to her. He never would for that matter. Being without her had made him grateful. He ran his hand over her hair, smoothing it."What's wrong, sweetheart?"_

_ "John was just telling me about the place where Katherine kept him prisoner." Damon had heard. Her uncle had left off the gory details to protect her. Thank God for that._

_ "I know. I heard." He pressed his lips to her cheek. "I'm so sorry." Sorry that she had to know about places like that. Sorry that that bitch had ever got close enough to cause her pain, even second hand. Sorry that he hadn't been able to protect her and her family from Katherine's wretchedness._

_ "I just kept thinking about you in one of those places. And because of me." She pushed one of her hands up into the back of his hair, weaving her fingers there gently. "Why would you do that? Go back there? Knowing she would've hurt you."_

_ He lifted a shoulder in a shrug against her. "Better that she be occupied hurting me, rather than you." He had intended to kill Katherine, and would've found a way, but Elena had saved him the trouble in the end. "I've been around a long time. I'm not as fragile as you are."_

_ She moved and her brown eyes met his. "You really are my hero. You know that, don't you? But don't do that again. Let's do it together. I'm just a human, yes, but I'm not totally useless, you know." _

Elena didn't miss the light in his eyes at her words. Somehow she thought that only the first part of what she had just said had sunk in. But it was true. And he needed to hear it. He spent so much time trying to make her think he was terrible, but his selflessness leaked through more and more. He should know that someone noticed.

She pressed her lips to his intending to pull away quickly, but he had other plans.

XXXXXXXXXX

Watching two vampires and a werewolf cheat at football was actually pretty awesome. Elena was sitting on the stone steps of the courtyard entrance watching Stefan, Damon and Ric tossing a football at one another….with all of their strength and speed. She and Bonnie were sitting together actually, laughing and trying to keep up with the action which was easier said than done. It was moving so fast.

Stefan actually had some natural skills, able to put that ball into Ric's gut or smashing it into Damon's face without any real effort. And it was nice seeing Stefan enjoying himself, which would naturally involve smashing Damon in the face with something.

Bonnie and Elena smiled together. At the same time, the two of them said "This is what Saturday night football _should_ be."

It was so good to see Bonnie again. It had been a couple of weeks and she had missed her friend. Bonnie had been telling her about something she had found called a grimoire that gave her more detail about spells than an average spell book. She had gathered her long wavy golden and brown hair over one shoulder and was nervously twisting the ends in both hands. Combined with the gentle brown of her skin, the golden hair gathered that way reminded Elena of mermaids. Bonnie had always been so lovely, but today something was different. She was truly beautiful sitting there in the sun while she was working up the courage to telling Elena something. Elena knew the signs.

Whatever Bonnie was about to say was interrupted by a tumbling crash and a male groan. The ladies must've missed something catastrophic from out there in the field. Ric, wrapping a football painfully with his abdomen, lay in a crumbled heap at both their feet wearing an embarrassed grin. Stefan and Damon were howling with laughter at him and Elena joined their laughter. Bonnie made no sound at all. Ric took only a second to gather himself before he rolled onto his stomach, which put him nose to toes with Bonnie. Not looking up, he took a single finger and traced the instep of her sandaled foot as if fascinated before bounding to his feet and meeting her eyes with a grin. Bonnie was frozen in place, all except for the matching grin. Ric turned away yelling "No fair guys. I was distracted!" And off he ran again with the football tucked under one arm.

A small hand shot out and connected with the back of Bonnie's curly head."That's it! Spill!"

Bonnie laughed."What?" and Elena rolled her eyes expressively. _A habit she had picked up from Damon, actually. He did that very well. _

"Do you have something you'd like to share, little girl?" Elena crossed her arms expressively and pulled a dour face. It was her best imitation of one of their teachers from grade school.

Bonnie became very interested in her fingernails. "I like him." She shrugged. Uncomfortable.

Elena smelled an understatement. "Please." _Insert eye roll here._

Bonnie met her eyes then. The golden yellow in them was lighter, brighter than usual. A good sign that she was emotional about the topic. "We've been…..um…..seeing each other." She swallowed painfully, preparing for the ax to drop.

Elena squealed in joy and launched herself at her friend.

"You mean you're not going to lecture me?" Bonnie was laughing and fending off Elena pecks on the cheek in her joy. "A teacher? A werewolf? Too old for me?"

"Oh, please." Elena's brown eyes twinkled. "I'm seeing a blood thirsty vampire who is ten times my age and you didn't judge. Well, not much….." Another laugh erupted at Bonnie's chagrin. "I guess this explains the busy weekends and dropping history class. _Technically, as long as Bonnie was eighteen and not a student of Ric's, their relationship would not interfere with his job responsibilities. Bonnie knew this because she had checked._

"The dropping class was my idea. He didn't like that much, but I didn't ask." Bonnie finally smiled. "He's actually very funny when he's angry."

"He's very funny all the time, Bonnie. Gawwwwwddd! I _so_ didn't see this coming, but it makes sense in one of those weird, twisted kinds of ways. You know, I was worried it was a prejudice kind of thing between werewolves and witches that no one would tell me about that made you drop his class so soon after you found out." Elena was absolutely buzzing with excitement. "And just so you know, you _will_ be forking over details. I did. It's only fair." An elbow was firmly planted in the other girls' ribs to punctuate her willingness to use force if necessary. Then, she couldn't help herself. "I get one question, for now to tide me over. Is that fair?"

Bonnie grinned, knowing what it would be. She nodded shyly and raised a brow.

"Well…how was it?"

"Epic." That was how Elena had answered the same question and Elena let out a girlish squeal. "I knew it!"

There was a roar from the field where the guys were still tossing and running. Both ladies looked up, smiling at one another. "They really are very funny. Playing like boys out there."

"I see what you mean. But you could be kinder, ladies. Men really do put a great deal of effort into impressing their women." The deep voice came from behind them and Elena nearly jumped out of her skin. The unidentifiable accent was unmistakable.

"Oh my gosh, Elijah. Humans aren't made of stone, you know. You nearly gave me a heart attack!" She swung around, laughing. She was coming to think of him as a friend, dangerous or not. He was dressed, as ever, in a dark, tailored suit and seated two steps above them. He laughed at her accusation. "I beg to differ. I can hear your heart and it never missed a beat. Although it is a little faster now." He smiled at her and his eyes twinkled just a bit.

_Damon had complained that she continued to speak to Elijah. He called occasionally to check on her uncle's progress. "Elena, I have seen what the guy can do. He's dangerous. This is just not a good idea."_

_ Elena had said "Listen, Damon, you're dangerous too. It's everywhere. Even my history teacher is dangerous for God's sake. What is one more? Really? Tell you what, if he kills me, then you can feel free to gloat." Elena was never going to be one to take orders. She had her own mind and would use it. That mind told her that Elijah would never hurt her._

Elena introduced her new friend Elijah to her old friend Bonnie. Bonnie gave Elena a look that said she had _so_ not done him justice when she had described him.

Taking Bonnie's hand at the introduction, Elijah turned his brown eyes on her for the first time."Are you the young witch responsible for Elena's thoughts being broadcast when we first met?" _He really was very attractive. Elena had called him "hot" the first time she had spoken his name to her, but it was more than that. Bonnie saw that he was appealing in the way an impressionist painting was appealing. The more you looked, the more you studied him, the more there was to see. Hellfire and damnation. I have got to tell Elena about that spell…..now more than ever._

"That would be me. Yes." _How embarrassing._

"Powerful, for your first efforts. Not to mention entertaining." He smiled at Bonnie as he watched Elena blush out of the corner of his eye.

Bonnie laughed at her friend's discomfort. "I can only take credit for the spell. The stream of consciousness is all Elena. And she's been entertaining me with that stuff since we were five, so I have a good idea what a treat that can be."

"So she's always like that? Fascinating."

Damon, Stefan and Ric joined them on the stairs. A stiff nod from Damon and he introduced Ric and Elijah.

"What can I do for you, Elijah?" Damon's tone was faintly challenging.

"The matter I discussed with you at my last visit. It will happen in two days' time in Washington D.C.. We need for you to go." Elijah's warmth had faded to icy reserve as he and Damon spoke.

Damn. Damon had forgotten about that.

"Elena, guys, is anyone up for a road trip?"


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: This chapter was exhausting to write. The characters might know about auctions, entourages, civil war uniforms and memorabilia, but this author did not. Acccckkkkk! Why couldn't Damon have been a freakin' farmer? Unfortunately, like Damon, I have little patience with historical inaccuracies, so I even had to find the right assignment and rank he would've been given considering his wealthy status with his father being a landowner. I, gnash1, now know entirely more about the Civil War in Virginia than I ever intended.**

**I also incorporated Caroline again. I missed her. What can I say?**

**I hope you guys enjoy the drama, laughter and subtlety woven throughout. Things will be getting violent and drama will reign for awhile coming in Chapter 18.**

Chapter 17

_The Vampire Elders had a singular purpose. That purpose was to protect the knowledge of any existence of a vampire nation, anywhere. Vampires had several natural enemies and would avoid counting their food supply among them at all costs. And so they monitored activity that might lead to exposure. The houses that Katherine had kept were destroyed after her death for just this reason. The Elders also closely followed historical circles watching for pitfalls. Most of the Elders themselves were old enough that there was little danger in this area for them, but the younger of their kind were forever presenting problems in the area. They were forever leaving a trail of some kind that had to be scattered to the wind like bread crumbs. _

_ Just this kind of problem had brought Elijah to Damon's door weeks before._

_ Damon had been a soldier in the Confederate Army before a very serious injury had brought him home unexpectedly to recover in Mystic Falls, Virginia at his father's home. During his homeward trek, he had met a certain lady in need of assistance named Katherine. He had brought Katherine into his father's home offering her shelter. Katherine had not been what she seemed and Damon never returned to the war. His gear, including a remarkably preserved uniform had been left with a friend and now had found its way to an auction house in Washington D.C. nearly a hundred and fifty years later. This uniform had been stenciled with Damon Salvatore's name and then stained with his human blood. This was the reason that the Elders had concerns. Modern DNA tracking turned on such a frock coat and then matched to the modern day Damon Salvatore, "a distant relative", had the potential to lead to very uncomfortable questions._

_ He would need to purchase back the uniform and gear so that it could be appropriately destroyed. Any of the artifacts might contain skin or hair samples that could come back to haunt him years from now. His real trouble was in the fact that he could not have his name appear associated in any way with the sale of the items. If he tried that, hunters from all over the continent would converge on him in a manner of weeks as a result. Vampires were not the only ones that monitored historical circles. This meant he needed a purchaser, preferably human, to avoid any red flags. Elena._

After Damon explained what was needed and why, the group started to make plans. They couldn't convince him to stay there and let them take care of it, so they had to work out how to deflect any attention away from him.

Elena and Bonnie went to Caroline for advice. She was the queen of what to wear and how. Elena had attempted to be as evasive as possible, which only got her a staring contest with Caroline until she had to spew details. She told her friend that there was an auction she needed to go to and bid on some historical artifacts. She needed to give the impression of being important, moneyed and not someone it would be wise to question. The idea was that no one needed to know that the purchase was for Damon. Elena didn't tell Caroline why the subterfuge, and oddly, Caroline didn't ask. _Was she sick?_

Caroline lived for this sort of thing and was thrilled. She and Elena were the same size, so she started digging. She came out with a pink silk designer pencil skirt and matching pink silk blouse. She paired it with some pink Jimmy Choos of the same shade, some pearls and a small pink Prada bag. _Caroline thanked God every day that Daddy had money and she had taste. _

"You'll need some pink silk stockings." She was making a mental list. "And you should wear your hair up, something sleek. And these…" She dug in a drawer and pulled out a glasses case. They were wide framed black sunglasses. They would cover most of Elena's face. "Don't ever take them off. It'll lend to the impression that you're "celebrity"."

Elena sighed and smiled at the feeling she had just handed the entire thing over to Caroline to produce and direct. "But I thought I didn't want to draw attention."

"No, you do. The more closely they are studying you, the less attention they will be paying to your honey." _She was right. Damn._

_ "_And you'll need an entourage. That will be the end game. Arrive with a group that appears to follow you, cater to you. They'll be so busy trying to figure out who you are that they won't notice the people in your entourage or security. He should be part of security for you. They always blend away in people's memories. "

"Caroline, how would you feel about joining my entourage?" Yes, it would complicate things because Caroline was unaware of Damon's true nature, or Ric's, or Bonnie's for that matter. They would just have to edit their conversation. But Caroline knew the ins and outs of the crowd that would be attending this auction. She understood them, spoke their language.

Caroline was hopping up and down. "Girl! I thought you'd never ask!"

XXXXXXXXXX

And so Damon gathered some of the best "alternate" ID's that money could buy.

Damon took the role of security, as suggested. He didn't like it much, but it _did_ make sense and was how he thought of himself at this point. Because this was an effort to distance Elena's impression from all things Salvatore, Stefan became the driver and handler of financial matters for Elena, hanging toward the back, even further than Damon did. This left Alaric as the heiress struck arm candy, which was a role he was eating up. Grrrrrrrr….

Caroline and Bonnie became the appropriately sycophantic "besties" to Elena's "heiress"

It was all pretty funny, really, watching each of them sink into their roles, but they couldn't take chances that the Salvatores might be recognized. And Damon couldn't hire someone to just be his buyer, because that sort of activity was traceable. This wouldn't be. They would sweep in, cause a ruckus with her at the center of it, then purchase and collect the items with a flourish and disappear. Stefan would handle the money for Elena. All that would be needed was her signature, which he pointed out didn't need to be legible.

So Stefan booked them into an entire floor in the east wing of the Mandarin Hotel in Washington under the name E. E. Goinns, which was Elena's new ID and a play on his favorite poet's name. The hotel was five star establishment within a stone's throw of the Smithsonian, which according to Elijah, had representatives that would be present for this auction. It seems they were interested in the artifacts, but preferred that they be donated rather than being forced to purchase. When Stefan, as the group concierge, checked them in, the hotel manager approached Stefan in an attempt to get a handle on who exactly had booked and paid in advance for an entire floor. When he pressed Stefan for details, Stefan had smiled into the manager's eyes with an expression that said "Please tell me you're not really this stupid." The man had apologized, offering to stock each of the eighteen rooms on the floor with complimentary champagne. All questions stopped then. Damon and Stefan were pros at this sort of thing.

And so they converged.

The group entered the door of the auction house together with very little fanfare really, Elena in the middle, and the flashiest of them all. She was escorted by Ric, who stood tall and elegant in a dark gray tailored suit (at Damon's expense) beside her, hovering a half a breath away at all times. They made an interesting picture, her small, delicate and feminine. Ric was much taller, easily a foot and a half taller, broad, dark and fondly obliging. Ric's manner was serious and he affected a stunned worshipper very well. _Too damned well. _And she accepted his worship with a warm expression around the glasses, laying a hand on his arm from time to time to show him something, or to smile up into his eyes._ This plan was appealing less and less in Damon's mind._

The others called her only "E" in muted whispers in the foyer. Stefan registered her to bid in the auction while Bonnie and Caroline gasped over a catalog of the offerings for the day sharing the pictures with her. She would stop to look at their offerings, dismissing them with a slight wave that they should turn the page while she complained quietly about how long they waited for her "man" – Stefan- to make the "arrangements". _Good grief. What. An. Actress. She had told him once that just because she was human didn't mean that she was useless. But where the hell did she learn this ability to run a con so easily and sweetly?_

Elena wore a baby pink silk skirt suit, pink heels and pearls. Her dark hair was up in a chignon, large dark sunglasses on her face. The foil of color between the monochromatic pink and the dark glasses and hair against her olive skin was stunning. She appeared beautiful, rich and untouchable. He watched her study her immaculate manicure with a bored expression. _Damon was star struck himself and felt his body tighten as he watched her. She certainly didn't look seventeen anymore. And he didn't like the look in Ric's eye at all. Ric's soon to be very black eye._

The auction house, Gatsby's of D.C., was a high end auction house that catered to local estate sales and historical oddities. Elena raised a brow at Damon at the "historical oddities" part, nodding at the sign, her slight smile saying it was appropriate that he would bring her here. _Historically odd, was he?_ He fought to keep a flat affect because security staff didn't grin evilly at their employers. His reflection nodded back in her glasses, his eyes transmitting a message about his plans for later that only she would see and understand.

Stefan handed "Miss Goinns" the paddle with her number on it that she would hold up as she made a bid. Then he stood outside the hall entrance, hovering quietly waiting for his "employer" to make any acquisitions that would require his services.

Finally the group entered the auction hall, which was lined with deeply padded folding chairs. Elena led the group holding Ric's hand, while he trailed, smiling behind her. Damon, dressed head to toe in a black suit and shirt, rolled his eyes and took a spot next to the entrance crossing his arms. The group settled in a set of seats as far back from the auctioneer as possible, just as planned. Elena was in the middle of her entourage and appeared to be accepting the attention her people paid her with bored patience.

The auction began uneventfully. The hall was littered with around one hundred and fifty people. Many of them were dressed similarly to "Miss Goinns" but they noticed her all the same. Whispers spread of a faintly familiar new face that no one could place.

They knew that lot number 23 was assigned to the entire collection of civil war era memorabilia that belonged to one of the estates participating in the sale. Damon had reviewed the rest of the catalog to assure they just needed the one lot.

Damon's tension built as the auctioneer moved skillfully through the list of lots, watching quietly as the items were examined, extolled and then excised from the coffers of Gatsby's.

"And finally, lot 23 is made available. The contents of this lot include an authentic Confederate Army uniform, a Calvary Corporal overcoat, a saber, a hunting knife, shaving set and two muskets dating to 1823." _They got that wrong. Those muskets were his father's. Made in 1815. _"As an aside," The auctioneer became very animated, excited to give details. "This particular set of items is said, by the estate, to have belonged to a family friend that died before returning to retrieve them. The coat still bears the blood stains from injury that ended the Cavalryman's life." Damon, from the back, was keeping track of the historical inaccuracies. _Yeah, they got that wrong too._ The auctioneer indicated a small dark stain and a whole on the right side, under the right arm. _Elena had seen that scar, kissed that scar. Seeing the coat Damon had worn when it happened made her chest ache._ The auctioneer removed the golden buttoned coat, which had hung on a mannequin and pulled it open. Stenciled into the back of the coat was a name, rank and regiment number. It read "D. Salvatore, C. Corporal, 25th Battalion Virginia Calvary" in bold black letters. _My God, it's really his._

The bidding for the entire lot began at twenty five thousand dollars. Elena turned to Ric, speaking idly and showed no interest at all. Damon tensed more, if that was possible. The bidding climbed from various sources around the room to fifty thousand dollars in a matter of minutes, and still Elena smiled, leaning over to speak with Bonnie and Caroline about something else in a catalog. Not a flicker of interest from her. The bidding seemed to settle at eighty thousand dollars, and the auctioneer began the wind down. After the first warning, Elena held up her paddle, signaling the auctioneer with a nod to eighty five thousand dollars. The auctioneer, seeing a dance, urged the crowd again for more. Ninety thousand, ninety five thousand, and then one hundred and ten thousand dollars was the next bid that was reached when the bidding seemed to slow. Elena had not bid again.

Damon thought that if he could sweat, he would've right now. She was killing him leaning over and talking with her friends when it was critical to him to get this lot. When the auctioneer wound down again at one hundred ten thousand dollars, Elena raised her paddle again, punctuated the action with a quiet giggle to Bonnie about something unrelated, raising the bid to one hundred twenty thousand dollars. The auctioneer was red faced and blustering in his joy then.

Another man, across the hall, pushed the bid up to one hundred twenty five and Elena smiled, moving it to one hundred thirty five without a flicker. _She was a pro. She was affecting a vague disinterest in the items or the amount of money involved. _A bidding war ensued with the balding, paunchy short man and his Elena. Each time the man raised the bid, Elena responded. The entire hall had hushed to watch. When the bidding reached one hundred and eighty thousand by Elena's signal, the man across the hall broke a sweat. Elena lifted not even an eyebrow.

The auctioneer began the wind down now with Elena's the bid of one hundred eight thousand dollars. Elena leaned over to whisper something in Ric's ear and he laughed quietly. _Grrrrrrrrr…_The balding man seemed to swallow painfully. He raised his paddle to one hundred and eight five thousand dollars. The auctioneer appeared to have to fight the urge to throw a fist punch into the air. Elena raised an elegant hand raising the bid once again, this time to one hundred and ninety thousand dollars. Damon watched her adversary with a vague sense of pity as the man hung his head. They had won. She had won. When the auctioneer announced that Elena had won the lot, she responded only with a smile, put one hand on either side of Ric's face and kissed him once lightly and quickly on the lips in her joy. _Damon was not so joyous. He decided then and there that all his study was lacking was a werewolf pelt for the floor in front of the fireplace._


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Stefan worked with the financial representative for Gatsby's to organize the details of his employer's most recent acquisition like he had done it a thousand times before. The appropriate information was shared and the papers drawn up. Miss Goinns, her escort and her head of security waited in the small parlor designed for wealthy purchasers to be comfortable while details were hammered out. Miss Goinns sipped a bottle of Perrier.

_The tension in the parlor was palpable. Damon and Alaric, both still in character, were also both stiff with fury, but hiding it very well. The tension, heat, anger came off of both of them in waves. Elena had no idea what the hell was wrong with them, but she felt the urge to insert her silk stockinged and well-heeled foot in both of their asses. And so the tension grew._

With a flourishing signature the entire contents of lot 23 became the property of E. E. Goinns. Stefan pulled the car around to load the contents into the trunk. In the parlor, Elena continued to cool her expensive heels. Ric had excused himself for a moment leaving her alone with Damon. She had already searched the room for any sign of a camera and although she didn't see one she couldn't take the chance. Casually, she moved across the room to collect a glass of high end champagne. Without turning around, she signaled her security chief to help himself if he liked. Damon approached the table from behind, careful not to touch her. His eyes met hers in a mirror over the elaborate table. Fury glittered there. At her. She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, meeting his gaze from behind her dark glasses with a raised brow.

"Congratulations, Miss Goinns." He sounded like a perfectly respectable employee as he reached for a glass, and lifted it to her in salute.

"Thank you, Mr. Black. Naturally I am very excited with the purchase." She turned half away from him to take a sip of champagne, idly.

Damon's character slipped a little then. A quiet, "Yes. I have noticed how very excitable you are." drifted to her ears.

Across the room, a deep voice said "I do have that effect on women, don't I, Miss Goinns?" Ric had just returned to hear the last part of the exchange. Having clearly lost his mind at the other end of the hall, he was antagonizing Damon.

She crossed the room, taking one of Ric's arms in her own. "You are so silly, darling." She simpered. She stepped up on tiptoe and whispered in his ear, knowing Damon would hear every word. "Have you lost your damned mind? And what is his problem, exactly? Didn't we do what he needed?" Damon did not respond at all from across the room.

Ric whispered back "Your boyfriend is feeling a little green. I say if someone can't take a little competition, they might just be too old for the game."

_Damon planned to feed the bits left over after he got that werewolf pelt to a certain family of wild dogs that lived on the edge of town. He liked them. No sense wasting good meat._

The door to the parlor opened and two men, dressed entirely in black joined the room, closing the door loudly as the room fell silent.

One man was tall, lanky and seemed very young. His expression as he stared wordlessly at Elena ran the gamut from what she could only call star-struck wonder to fear and back again. His eyes were bold, yet fearful.

The other man seemed smug and proud. His arms were crossed over his chest. He was crossing the room with an uncoordinated strut. He looked at her with impatient disdain. "Katherine."

He ignored her companions. "I thought we agreed that this little piece of history was mine." Before he could take another breath, he was dead onto the floor. The other man looked wildly around for a moment and then he was falling as well, to join his friend on the floor. Damon stood over both of them. And Elena stopped breathing as well, but hers was in horror.

While she fought the urge to hyperventilate, Damon and Ric worked together to get rid of the bodies without being seen. It seemed that Ric, anticipating drama from Damon, had disconnected the security camera while he "wandered down the hallway" earlier. Damon was able to gather the bodies, one at a time and disappear down the hallway so quickly that no one saw him, or his burdens. So no one saw. And still she wanted to hyperventilate.

Stefan came back then to say that the car was ready, so Elena met Bonnie and Caroline in the foyer of the auction house, smiled at the manager and shook his hand. And then they were gone.

In the back seat of the large SUV, Elena leaned forward and placed a hand on Damon's arm. He look at it first, then up at her, anger still flickering in the depths of his blue eyes. Dangerous and beautiful. Knowing that would have to be a conversation for later, because Caroline was present, Elena asked "Why did you kill those men? Who were they?" Damon turned back to looking out the windshield. "They were hunters Elena. The thin one was carrying a stake. They thought you were Katherine and they were going to kill you."

"To get the coat." Elena understood now. Oh dear God. They would have killed her. All for her face.

"Yes." _Damon heard her distress, but didn't turn around. Let someone else comfort her. Ric perhaps._

There was a world of difference between saying she accepted Damon and the violence he was capable of, and witnessing it for herself. She saw the childish hubris of her "acceptance" of this part of Damon. Violence was just a part of who he was, and perhaps it always would be. It was his reality, really. Could she live with that? Love that? She didn't know. He spoke of killing men with not a flicker of remorse or concern at all. Elena found herself wondering things about those two men and their families as the car pulled up in the parking lot at the hotel. Did either of those men have children? Grandchildren, in the case of the older man? Wives? Girlfriends? People who cared about them that would never know what had happened to them, as she had wondered about John? Yes, they were going to try to kill her, but would they have stopped when they realized she was human? Had there been any other way, but violence? She sat back in her seat.

When they arrived at the hotel, the group went up two separate elevators. Bonnie, Ric, Stefan and Caroline in one. Damon and Elena ended up in the other, alone together. Elena settled into one corner of the elevator, her mind still replaying the sights and sounds of those two men dying while she watched.

_Damon eyed her from the other side of the elevator, one eyebrow aloft. He could see, feel the tension in her. He watched as she pressed herself into the corner of the elevator, as far from him as she could get in this enclosed space. So she was suddenly afraid of him? Now? He was completely baffled, and still angry at being forced to watch her make eyes at the best friend he had managed to make in a century. But he would never hurt her. Ric, maybe, but never her. He opened his mouth to tell her so, but found that she had shifted her gaze away from him, down, eyes unseeing._

When they reached the floor that had been reserved by Stefan, Damon stepped off the elevator baffled and angry to find Ric waiting on Elena. Concerned for her safety. With. Him.

What little self-control Damon had managed to acquire since knowing and loving Elena fell away completely. One hand shot out, backhanding the werewolf to the stone wall that decorated the elevator bank. Ric stood, snarling.

"Sonofabitchin' bloated little tick! It's on, now! " The words came out in a rumbling snarl. His eyes glowed, with dual bands of color in bright orange and yellow. For the first time since the day she had found him in his basement chained, Elena heard and saw the wolf in Ric.

Bonnie was approaching, but Ric held up a single hand in warning and launched himself at Damon, pushing Damon back through the open elevator doors to where Elena was still tucked into one corner. The doors closed, while the three of them were still enclosed in the small space. Elena, in a panic, pushed a button to open the doors again before the elevator started to move, terrified to be trapped in this space with these two. They were clearly going to try to take each other apart.

The doors swung open again as Ric came flying backwards up and out of the elevator, to skid to a halt ten feet down the hall. "Bring it on, Sparky. Let's go. Or are you gonna take your wolfy ass off somewhere for a good licking, now?" Damon taunted at a full-fledged bellow. He had come two steps down the hall to meet Ric, planting his feet firmly. The gesture indicated that he had no intention of being moved and dared Ric to try. Ric stood, crouching low, ready to launch at the vampire. Unstoppable object meets immovable force.

Elena watched in horror, having finally found herself free of the damnable elevator. She still wasn't clear on what they were fighting about, but they cared for one another. She was sure of it, had seen it in their willingness to overlook differences, laugh together over unpleasantness. She couldn't let this happen. Swallowing her fear, she launched herself bodily at Damon, hoping to stop the onslaught before it spiraled out of control.

Elena connected with Damon's chest at a full two seconds before Ric was due to impact. Ric saw it, but was already launched, unable to stop his forward momentum. Damon, seeing Elena's approach as well, tried to move out of Ric's flight plan, but the end result was still the same. Between hard muscle and bone, Elena landed first against Damon's left fist, and then against his chest. Damon's fist, ready to meet Ric's attack came hard across Elena's face forcing her head back, up and to the left. The impact of Ric at her back forced forward with such speed that her head whipped forward and to the right. The vampire and the werewolf froze, staring at one another in horror, as the deafening whip cracking sound of Elena's neck breaking broke the silence that had fallen around them.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

_At the sound of her neck snapping and the unnatural angle of her body in Damon's arms, the whole hallway had gone still. Bonnie and Caroline screamed as one. Caroline fainted then, caught by Stefan. He took her down the hall to her room, intending to return and help Damon as quickly as possible._

_Ric began a litany of "Oh God" over and over as the two of them lowered her broken body to the floor. Part of Damon wanted to point out that if there was one, He wasn't listening, clearly. But he hurt too much to speak. He had felt her body break against him, saw the light fade from her eyes. So much death. He had seen so much for so long that it had stopped affecting him. Until now. Her death was more than he could bear. Damon thought idly of the stories of other vampires like himself, some much younger, that had descended into madness so easily. He always thought of them as weak, pathetic. For the first time, he understood. Madness whispered from the edges of his mind commanding him to tear this place, these people apart for causing him such pain. But he knew he was to blame. _

_Really, if there was a God, if there was a Day of Judgment, this was Damon's day._

_They laid her on that floor, over the expensive wool carpet, and his eyes filled as he pushed her hair away from her face, smoothing it. It had fallen from the style she had worn for the auction and pooled around her on the floor. He hooked a small section over her right ear, as she always did. He saw that dark bruising was rising on the entire left side of her face. He had done that, too. The tear drops ran down his hand, across her face, her neck. He hadn't made a sound. He didn't have any sound left. No words. No sarcasm. For someone who always had something to say, he had nothing left at all._

Elena's eyes opened to the interior of one of the rooms they had taken for the night at the Washington DC hotel. She took in a quiet, shallow breath. Her head hurt, and the entire room was shifting….literally. The tall bed rail to her left was wavering back and forth. Or was that her moving back and forth? And her hair, on the right side of her face was wet, stuck, plastered even to her skin. Why was her hair wet?

And then it all came back. The argument and anger. Two faces she loved, one beloved, one a beloved friend, ready to do more violence. Her thinking only to stop it. And pain, darkness.

A gasp was torn from her as she sat up, looking around. Her frightened brown eyes met blue eyes that were still swimming in tears and grief. She realized that she had been leaning back against Damon's chest where he had held her and he had been rocking back and forth with her there, in his pain. Her hair was wet with his tears.

_Damon's expression could only be described as jaw locking consternation as he clearly struggled to understand how she was sitting up and looking back at him. Alive._

_Damon was certain he had completely lost his mind. His Elena was dead, at his own hands, and yet she looked back at him. Her eyes were frightened and faintly accusing…which was appropriate. But the fact that she was looking back at him confirmed for him the break in his mind. He couldn't help but eye her warily, afraid to let himself feel at all. He palmed his cell phone, hit a button and said into it "I think you better get in here."_

_Thirty seconds later, Ric came through the adjoining door and skidded to a halt staring at Elena with his mouth open._

"_So she's real." Then he wrapped her gently in his arms, fear or no fear. He felt her sigh against him and smiled into her hair._

_So maybe there was a God. In his nearly two centuries, he hadn't seen much that would convince him, until now. But this was a big one._

XXXXXXXXXX

It seemed that Damon had to be touching her someway. Elena was beginning to believe that he thought she wasn't real.

They were able to know for certain that she had not been exposed to his blood. Damon explained that when someone was in transition, there was a certain scent, and Elena didn't have it. So she was still entirely human. But no one, not even Bonnie, had an explanation for why she was still breathing.

She found the guys contrite, to say the least. Both of them blamed themselves, but Elena knew that the blame was firmly hers. She had not considered the consequences when she had jumped. Hearing them agonizing over what happened was more than she could bear.

"Please, guys, it's ok. I'll find out what happened. In the meantime, I won't let that happen again. But can I ask what we were all fighting about, since it did kill me and all? I was completely confused."

Damon had the grace to look uncomfortable.

"Watching the two of you together made me very angry. When you kissed him, I wanted to hurt people. I know it's pathetic and petty and I'm sure you had a good reason for doing it, but I didn't see it that way until you were already out of my reach." Damon touched her hand on the bed, as if to reassure himself that she wasn't out of his reach anymore. "Even though I didn't say anything, Ric could smell the aggression, and guessed what was wrong." Damon's eyes glittered with unshed tears. He reached out a hand to touch the unbruised cheek. "I'm trying to be a better person, Elena. Being with you makes me want that. It's my humanity, something I lost long ago, that you've returned to me. But all of this is new to me, and I suck at this." His face was red. Damon was humiliated to admit this weakness with both of them right there to hear.

Elena moved close to him. "I kissed Ric because I worried that when the announcement was made that I had won, that you might show some excitement too, and make people wonder. If they were watching Ric and me, they weren't noticing you." She had taken his hand. "Are hunters always so brutal? And how did they know Katherine? The man spoke to me like we were partners in something."

Damon shook his head then. "It looks like Katherine had been working with them. The bitch was even a traitor to her own kind. I just never anticipated they would know Katherine, what she looked like, much less that you, as my bidder, would be at risk for being confused with her. I messed that up, too, Elena. I'm so sorry." His hand was rubbing the top of her hand, then the palm, back and forth as he spoke. "I know that my killing those two upset you. I'm sorry about that. Accepting me or not, you shouldn't have to see those things."

Elena went into his arms then closing the distance between them. Relief blew through Damon like a warm, cleansing wind.

XXXXXXXXXX

Elena and Damon were on the bed, both sleeping. They were both fully clothed, over the top of the covers. Damon had asked if he could just hold her. A first. Elena had teared up a little. Evidently their relationship had changed again somehow. Damon was quiet, serious and she saw pain flickering in his eyes whenever they met hers. And he just wanted to hold her.

Elena woke to a light tapping sound on the door out to the hallway. Damon stirred, probably at the sound and rolled away, releasing her from the death grip she had been caught in before he slept.

She tiptoed across the room to find Bonnie out there, signaling her to be silent and follow her.

Bonnie led her to one of the empty rooms that they had for the night. It seemed she had been busy. In four corners of the room they stopped in were small unmatched bowls. Bonnie had improvised it seemed. Each of those bowls held the same white willow bark Bonnie used at her home when Elena had not wanted to be overheard. When they got into the room, all four bowls erupted in flames at once. This was Bonnie upset and with magic. Wow.

"We have to talk, Elena. But first, thank the goddess your alive." Bonnie wrapped her arms around her friend and fought tears. "How the hell did you do that? Because you were seriously dead. I tried to reach you and you were just _gone_." Bonnie was remembering the horror.

"I have no idea, Bonnie. Really." And then a memory floated to the surface of her mind of Elijah saying when she had asked him what he knew about her ring "_They stop spells, compelling, that sort of thing. I have heard whispers of them reviving the dead, but that might be fairy tale_." She gasped aloud and Bonnie's eyes questioned her. "I think I just figured it out. Oh. My. God."

"Just a sec, Bonnie." Elena ran back to the room and grabbed her cell phone, coming back down the hall. She was saying "I need to talk to you. Will you call me, or maybe we could meet? I have something I need your help with." It was two AM. Who was Elena calling at two AM?

"Oh, my theory. Elijah could confirm it for me, I think. But he didn't pick up." She looked at her watch and laughed. Yeah, it being two AM and all, I guess that's why. Even vampires sleep.

Bonnie was sitting on the bed now and tapped the cover beside her asking Elena to sit down.

"I have to tell you something that's going to upset you, but you need to know and I've put it off long enough. After what happened tonight, it's even more important that you know and decide what we do from here."

Elena couldn't help the worried expression that crossed her face.

Bonnie began then to explain about the spell that she had used two years ago. She explained that in the grimoire she had found, while she was researching how to remove the spell, she found that it was actually bigger and further reaching than she had anticipated. It seemed that the spell was designed to bring the compatible match as quickly as possible. It had the power to reach across continents even, to create circumstances resulting in the meeting.

Elena stopped her there. "But why did it take two years then for me to meet Damon?"

"I wondered that myself. I think if you asked him and got an honest answer, you'd find that until very recently Damon was out of the country and committed to something that prevented his return to Virginia. But your location would've called to him, a terrible case of homesickness lasting about two years."

Elena chewed on that thought. And then Bonnie got to the worst part.

"The other thing you should know is that the spell is multi layered. It draws and creates the circumstances for a meeting. Then it creates the identifying mind reading ability once the meeting happens. And then binds the match to you until you speak the words to release them." Bonnie was tracing her finger on the coverlet she sat on. She knew that Elena was proud. The idea that someone loved her because of a spell was going to be _very bad._

"But Elijah destroyed that spell."

"I think he must've missed this part of it, Elena, because I can still trace it on Damon." Bonnie took a deep breath. "I don't know the type of binding spell that's used. I can't pinpoint it. I only know that it's there. There are different types of binding spells, so it could be one of many. I don't know the full effects. But in Damon's defense, it's possible that the spell is making him act like a possessive moron. I just wanted for you to know about it because it may not be something he can help. It might be my fault that you got killed." Bonnie's eyes filled with tears. This was why she had come for Elena in the early morning, looking for forgiveness. She wrapped her arms around her friend, and Bonnie sobbed her guilt and grief into Elena's shoulder.

When she was calm again, Elena, ever practical, asked questions. "How do I release him?" But Bonnie met her eyes. "Not just Damon, Elena. Elijah too." Oh god. She hadn't thought of that. Elijah had heard her thoughts during the spell. So he was bound to her too. _So much for my magnetic personality. _She really did want to confirm with Elijah that the spell's second component had not been removed. This was going to require a private conversation with him.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Elena left the elevator the next morning into the parking garage trying to keep the chat light with Bonnie. She knew that her friend was worried about her after their conversation this morning, but she was trying very hard not to think about it. After she and Bonnie went back to their rooms, Elena found herself grateful that she had called Elijah. Really he was the only one that could answer the questions she had. She figured it would be a day or so before she'd hear from him and she would see about setting up a chance to talk. Her stomach clenched at the thought, considering how that conversation could go badly so easily. It would be embarrassing at best, tragic at worst.

She had chosen an adjoining bedroom to Damon's after that and spent the rest of the night alone. Basically, she had been up all night after talking with Bonnie worrying, hurting and humiliated. She felt like she had already lost Damon. When she broke the spell, if in fact it was still in place, as Bonnie thought, then she would lose him. _I will not think about this. I will not think about this._ But ethically, regardless of her feelings she would not be the person that entraps some man for any reason. Tempting though it was to leave it there and keep Damon close to her. She loved him, after all. Bonnie did tell her that the spell went both ways. But her love lacked the influence of the spell because of the hunter's ring. She had just chosen Damon. No wildcard circumstances to make her love him. She just did.

_Damon was watching her, aching. She had left him in the night. He also somehow sensed her consciously distancing herself from him all morning. He had expected it, but the reality was painful. Expecting her to pull away from him, his world, he had just hoped to hold her for the night, and then they would have to sort out where they went from here. How could she not be afraid of him? What woman could honestly forgive that her man's carelessness had cost her life? He knew he would never forgive himself. Why should she?_

_ The pain and distractedness was in every way that she moved. There was physical pain from the soreness of getting beat all to hell. His. Fault. He sensed also pain from her spending hours gathering the courage to tell him when they got back home, to go to hell. He didn't kid himself that Elena would be able to do that without hurting. She had too loving a heart. _

Midstride Elena's hair, down and loose to cover her bruises, blew up from behind like someone had opened a door suddenly during a windstorm.

A hand landed on her shoulder. "Elena?" His accent was thicker than normal, but Elena still immediately knew who it was. She was getting better at not jumping out of her skin when Elijah appeared unannounced.

She whipped around to find Elijah standing close. But her hair was blown aside, and the purpling bruises across her neck and jaw were plainly visible. Elijah took in her condition and the dark glasses. He took the glasses off gently, seeing the bruises across the side of her face and cheek, spreading now up to her eye.

"You called. Combine the fact that the call came and two AM and that you were asking me for help, I feared the worst, honestly. So I came to you. I was close by." He was taking inventory of her bruises as he spoke. "I won't ask if you're alright. I can see the answer to that for myself." His voice was tight. _Was he actually speaking through clenched teeth_? "Tell me what happened, Elena. Was there trouble at the auction?"

The others had gathered around and someone was explaining to Caroline who Elijah was quietly. Even though they heard the question, no one wanted to be the one to answer.

Elena gave a shrill, humorless laugh. When she called him and left that message, she had expected to talk with him, not see him. She hadn't considered his reaction to her face and the damage there. "Oh. Yes there was trouble at the auction, but this is not related. These are the result of a life lesson. Never interfere when two men are fighting." She tried to make it light, make the whole thing seem silly. The effort fell flat. "Especially if both of them are scary strong and short tempered." He was eyeing her. He seemed to be waiting for her to add to what she had said. The silence drug on for another minute before she found herself trying to fill it. Like an idiot, she said "Really, considering the whole neck breaking thing, I'm probably lucky to be walking around. That's one of the things I needed to ask you about. " But Elijah wasn't standing there anymore. Her hair had blown up again.

And Damon was gone now too.

Elijah had Damon by the throat, against the nearest concrete barrier, slamming him into the wall as the cement gave way, cracking and splintering around him. In the broken concrete was an imprint that closely resembled Damon's entire upper body.

Elena followed them. "Please, Elijah." She didn't touch him. She had learned her lesson last night. She was standing close, speaking calmly at his side. "It wasn't his fault, Elijah. I jumped between them. But I'm alright now. It's over. Please don't hurt him anymore." Elijah didn't respond, he seemed so engrossed in his purpose. Thinking to distract him, she said "You and I need to talk anyway. They were all about to pull out of here. Do you have a car and maybe you could offer me a ride home? Honestly, Elijah, can we just go?"

Damon couldn't open his eyes. The swelling had started. He didn't fight back. He deserved this. If he could've done it to himself, he would've already. Elijah was actually doing him a favor. But regardless of deserving it, pain was never pleasant and was erupting from every sensor he owned. _He did try at her words to open one eye and focus. _S_he was leaving with Elijah without even a word to him? What the fuck? But Damon was still unable to talk, protest at all. Ironically, all those accusations from Stefan about him having brain damage were true when Damon needed his voice most._

_But Elijah had stopped with the slamming. He still held Damon aloft, a full foot and a half in the air. Damon noted that Elijah's hands were actually shaking in his fury. He wasn't just angry, or defensive. He was absolutely furious. _

_Elijah didn't get furious. He didn't get angry for that matter. Elijah's emotionless persona was his claim to fame among the Elders. It occurred to Damon right then and there that Elijah was in love with Elena, his girlfriend. The one that didn't want him anymore….yeah, that one. And now she had called Elijah in the night and was evidently leaving with him._ _This day just kept getting better and better._

Elijah met his eyes and spoke through clenched teeth. "You should know that you're only still breathing because she asks it." He lowered Damon to the ground and met his eyes again. Elijah's face was lined with veins and his eyes were red, but Damon saw no fangs. Weird.

"I will only tell you this once. She.." He motioned to Elena over his shoulder. "is all things good in this world. You and I are the exact and ugly opposite. And so, at all costs we will protect her. You will protect her, even from yourself. And if I ever see anything like this," He pointed to Elena's bruises. "I will make you wish that she hadn't interfered and I had killed you today with my bare hands. Here and now would have been kinder than what I will do to you." His eyes narrowed with the last sentence and Damon believed every word. He smoothed Damon's shirt where his hands had wrinkled it and released him. Damon slid to the floor.

Elijah rounded then on Ric, who was already moving to a defensive crouch and motioning Bonnie away from him.

"And you. I should at the very least break a few of your bones as well. But you are a beloved friend to Elena. So I will give you a free pass on this one because I'm feeling grateful that she's still here with us. But if this happens again, and you are involved, there will be nowhere you could hide from me." Ric had abandoned his defensive stance and was listening closely. Elijah's eyes narrowed on him, and Ric nodded in agreement. That seemed fair. Then Elijah smiled slyly. "Honestly, Alaric, I would think at your age you would know better than to fight with a human close by anyway. Regardless of how angry you are."

Everyone had turned to Ric at Elijah's words. As Elijah had known they would. Alaric's price for having been part of hurting Elena would be that Elijah was about to "out" him.

"Elena, you seem surprised. You were not aware that your friend Alaric is as old as your Damon?"

_Well damn. Busted, Ric thought._

Elena laid a hand on silk suit. Elijah froze. "Do you think we could talk now?"

"Of course."

"Alone. Would that be possible?" Her eyes told him that she wanted to avoid being overheard.

_Damon turned unseeing eyes to the wall. Listening to this was hard enough. He couldn't watch, even if everything was still a blur at this point._

"Only with distance in this setting, I think. Would that satisfy your needs? I could escort you home while the others travel." When she nodded, Elijah wrapped one arm around her, lifting her off the ground and to his chest. He swung her legs to one side and caught them with his free arm. She was basically cradled against his chest. This was the closest Elena had ever been to him. Her heart was trying to gallop away without her. What the hell was that about? She noticed he smelled of pine and something she couldn't place. Sage, maybe? Bonnie called sage the herb of wisdom and long life. Appropriate. While she pondered these things, the scenery began to blur around her.

_They were gone. She was gone. No explanation, no conversation at all. Ironically, Damon already wished that Elijah had just killed him. The other vampire was right. It would've been kinder._


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Elijah was running with her wrapped in his arms, and she was blinded by the speed they were moving because her eyes were unable to focus on anything around them. It all moved too fast away. After a very few moments of this, he stopped, still holding her to his chest and waited for her eyes to open and meet his. Cool brown eyes met warm brown ones.

"Are you alright?" They were standing on a country road, and only God knew where it came from or lead to. She wondered how many miles they had travelled in that short time.

She smiled bravely, still feeling a little light headed. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you."

"You look pale." Was that concern in him? For her? _Damned spell. Knowing that nothing was real, even in this friendship was painful somehow._

"My head feels a little funny from the trip. I'm fine. Thanks." He continued to study her face, one eyebrow came low, rippled in worry. "You can put me down now, Elijah." His arms opened instantly and released her.

He, too, was sensing distance in her. "Have I done something that's upset you, Elena? Is that the reason for this request to see me?"

It was her turn to surprise him, moving in very close and placing a hand on his face. He didn't move away, and his eyes closed briefly at the contact. "Of course not." She met his eyes, sincerity glowing from hers.

Pulling her hand away, she turned and took three steps away, intending to pace those three steps as she talked to him, but when she did her turn she nearly ran into him, he had been following so closely. She put a hand to his chest, saying with her eyes, _Wait here_, and she paced again, agitated.

"I don't know how to say this, so I can only be frank. This whole thing makes me uncomfortable, and I have real concerns, but I need to ask you and I need to know." Her hands were moving through the air as she talked, as if her hands would help her to articulate the issue better.

"Elena?"

"Yes, Elijah?"

"You're rambling, little one."

"Yes…I know." She looked at her dusty shoes, then up at him. She pushed her pride away. She felt vulnerable, weak.

"Bonnie and I talked last night. The compatibility spell. The one that you took down for me the day we met…..?" She stopped to look up at him, her eyes studying his face. His expressive face had settled into a stiff mask blank of everything when there had been warmth there only a moment before.

She decided to press on. "Bonnie found recently that this spell's effects were broader than we knew. A spell within a spell, if you will." She could read none of what he was thinking. Damn it.

She took a deep breath, gathering her courage.

"When you took it down, did you remove the binding spell it contained between me and any compatible match?" Between her and Damon, between her and Elijah. The idea that either of them would be bound to her, against their will, was painful to think about. Again, her pride rebelled at the thought of either of them being forced, with magic, to be her friend, or care for her. Even more painful was the thought that Damon might not love her at all, if not for this spell.

"No. I left the binding." Elijah shrugged.

"So you knew it was there? And you left it anyway?" Her voice had risen two octaves. Now she was confused.

"The bond wasn't hurting anything." _He looked closely at her, then, studying her face. He saw pain reflected there in her innocent eyes. Had he injured her with this selfish decision to leave the bond? Was she upset about her Damon? He really would never understand her._

"Perhaps you misunderstand. Did your friend Bonnie explain how this type of bond works?"

"Not really. She didn't know. The details seem to be sketchy at best."

"A bond of this kind draws individuals toward one another by providing insight into another. Not mind reading, certainly, but glimpses of into the other person's motivations, their heart for lack of a better term. It goes both ways, providing glimpses of both parties until it is broken. A bond of understanding. I have also found that it allows me to locate you very easily, which is unusual."

He took her hand and looked into her eyes. His eyes became wide and unseeing. "From my side, I have experienced this spell and I can tell you that you are all things good. You love your Damon and he is your primary motivator. You are also beginning to see yourself as prideful for the first time. You are attempting to deal with and correct it. " His gaze focused on her for a moment. He smiled at her with what could only be described as pride. "That is new."

"But naturally, in your case, you will not have felt the effects of this spell at all." He gestured to her ring. She hadn't thought of that. The ring stopped the effects of all enchantments on the wearer. It didn't destroy a spell, just neutralize it while the ring was on.

Elena was silent, taking that in. She had thought the bond would draw them to her, keep them there. So she had to ask.

"So, if you saw something about me that you despised and never wanted to see me again…."

"I could walk away and the spell would crumble with distance eventually."

"Are you sure?"

He laughed. "I will tell you something that no one else walking the planet knows, Elena. My mother was a witch. From the time I was a child I watched her, studied her. She would explain as she gathered, cast, worked, ever the teacher." He moved quickly, the wind from his speed stirred her hair. He put a hand to her face, as she had done with him a few moments before. "Yes, little one, I'm sure."

She leaned her forehead against his broad chest and cried all over his suit front. When she had calmed, something occurred to her. She took off her ring and handed it to him. She would experience this side of the spell, understand what happened. His brow furrowed and his face tightened. Elena wondered if he feared what she would see in her insight of him. He slid the ring into his jacket pocket and looked back at her. Nothing happened, so she took his hand.

And then she saw. She saw who Elijah was clearly for the first time. He was fiercely loyal, honorable, patient and a monster in his own estimation. He was motivated by a need for connection with this time. He had been alive a very long time and isolated himself from others as a rule, having lost unspeakable numbers of people, friends, lovers, family to the current of time's river. Just as others valued money, power, status, he valued bonds because he had none. He valued this connection between himself and her because connection was not an easy thing to come by. And his heart was involved but she understood little about the extent of that, and did not push in that direction. Really, he was not so different from what she had already known, with her heart, without the spell. Then the last portion of what she had seen struck her, worrying her for his sake. _His heart was involved with her_.

Elena gasped. She had been searching his face when her eyes went wide and unseeing. Now she focused on him and he stepped close and pressed his mouth to her forehead.

He knew what she had seen and understood her reaction. The spell. "We won't speak of it except for this one time. Agreed?" He waited for her response and she nodded. "I know that you love your Damon. He is exactly what you need at this time of your life. He is handsome, impulsive, dangerous and exciting. Perfect for your youthfulness. But perhaps there will come a time when your needs and tastes will change as people do. I am a very patient man. Five years, ten years, twenty years, these spans of time are nothing to me. We will remain friends." He shook her shoulders just a bit to punctuate the command, smiling. But his eyes were telling her this was not a point that she was allowed to argue about. "And as you change and mature, your tastes and needs will change and mature. Perhaps then, you will consider me." He shrugged as if it was nothing to him either way. But she had seen his heart, and she knew better. And yet this friendship mattered to her. So they would continue as they had started.

She thought about something and smiled. "Even without the insight of the spell, I trusted you, liked you, enjoyed your company, you know. Damon kept telling me that you are dangerous, but I wouldn't listen."

Elijah laughed. "I am, to him." He took her hand, kissed the back of it and watched her blush. "But not to you. Never to you."

"Does this answer all your questions?"

"Yes, I think so."

"And you have no issue with leaving the bond in place?" He asked, watching her closely.

"No, not if you don't mind." He smiled then.

She looked around at the country road. Her watch told her that they had been gone for an hour tops. "Where are we exactly, Elijah?"

"The Salvatore home is two miles that way." Elijah laughed at her surprise. He had run a fast enough to cut the three hour drive to somewhere around twenty minutes. "That's where you'll want to be when they get back, won't it?" She shook her head. He knew her very well. He reached into his pocket and gave her back her ring. "I can walk you, or carry you. Whatever you prefer." She laughed. "I think we should just walk, if you don't mind."

While they walked, they talked about the auction and the hunters. Elijah had also been unaware of Katherine working with hunters. He said he would take that information back to the Elders. It was possible that some concealment work would need to be done to cover bones Katherine might've dangled before them to gain their trust. She also gave Elijah the full story of what happened when she had been killed and they talked about the evident powers of the ring she wore. She had hoped that Elijah could offer some insight into how it worked, but because he had never seen one revived from the dead with one of these rings, he had little to offer for a change.

Elijah even asked her what she saw, if anything, when she was dead, something no one else had asked. She supposed from someone as old as he evidently was, death would be the final mystery. She told him then about the field she had been walking through. When the darkness caved in on her, she saw a field. Then she was walking in the field through tall, green grass. It was very sunny and in the middle of the field was a massive, blooming apple tree standing all alone. Someone dressed all in white was waiting for her there, sitting under the tree, but she never got close enough to find out who it was before she was taking a breath in Damon's arms. The feel of the place had been peaceful.

Elijah was enthralled by her tale. And every word of it was true, she assured him, thinking he would think she was unhinged. But he didn't. He could see she told the truth without exaggeration. "I am very pleased that you came back. No matter the means." They had stopped while Elena had struggled with the words to describe what she had seen. So when he spoke, he took her in his arms and held her to him for a moment. "No more dying. Agreed?"

"I will do everything I can to avoid dying. Does that satisfy your concern?"

Elijah laughed, releasing her and shook his head. "It would if I believed you."

"Yeah, I can't slip anything past you, can I? This is _so_ not fair." They laughed together as they continued on.

"I have a suggestion, when your Damon gets back." Elijah was kicking stones lightly with Italian leather shoes as they walked turning a few to dust actually before they got a chance to land on the ground again.

"What do you suggest?"

"I suggest you take off your ring and evaluate the bond with him. I think you are trying to decide whether you should just remove the bond, but that can be painful after the bond has taken root with time as this one has. It's not the pain I'm suggesting that you save him, though." He gave her a crooked grin at that. "I think that you and he would regret it if you did that without giving him the full picture first. See for yourself and proceed with caution is my suggestion."

"There is one thing that no one will tell you, so I will. Vampires by nature are very possessive creatures. We are about our women the way werewolves are about their territory. Although Damon seems to have overreacted on a regular basis with you, to him, it's just part of how things should be working. I would imagine watching you leave with me today, and being unable to stop it is eating him alive. "He chuckled. "He will be thinking that you have left him to be kept under my protection."

Elena's mouth dropped open. "I just had questions. We needed to talk freely." She rolled her eyes.

"But in a successful relationship, Elena, you must look at every conflict from both sides. I imagine that he sincerely believes that no one can be close to you without wanting you…..which may be entirely possible." He smiled at her discomfort and then continued on, "Seen in that light, his actions don't seem so unreasonable, but rather afraid. I see a vampire desperate to hang onto you. I think he might be afraid and in love."

Elena thought on that for a bit. _Did Damon really believe that?_ Then something occurred to her.

"Why would you help Damon?"

Elijah shrugged shoulder. "I genuinely want for you to be happy. Just do me a favor and don't turn me into one of your girlfriends, calling me giggling with details". He looked pained and rolled his eyes. She roared with laughter at the thought.

A few moments later, into the silence, Elena said "It's the violence in him that scares me. Especially after last night."

"Well, that is understandable. But you should consider that men, even human men, have violence in them. It's not exclusive to vampires. And, if it helps you, I can tell you that Damon has come a long way since your association. He has grown exponentially. He was on our watch list because he was so brutal and insatiable that we considered bringing him down before. Ironically, I was the one that defended him…..But all of that has stopped. He has not caused a single death in nearly four months. Except for the two hunters at the auction, and we don't even count hunter deaths, anyway._ That_, little one, is a remarkable feat." He noted the surprise in her face as that sunk in.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Damon spent the first hour of the drive aching back from Washington D.C. aching. He really should've known better than to get involved with a human. The people around him talked, laughed a little, ribbed one another and he was silent. His injuries had long since healed, a testament to his diet, he supposed. The pain had nothing to do with physical injuries. If he closed his eyes, he could still pick up traces of her scent from inside the car, where she had sat last night. He tried very hard not to close his eyes._

_ One mistake, a very serious mistake part of him argued, had her seeking out someone else. Just like that. He remembered her tone as she asked Elijah to take her away. It was a foregone conclusion that she would leave with the other vampire. She felt safer with Elijah, a wild card to say the least, than with him. He couldn't argue with that either. _

_ In the second and third hours of the drive, he got angry. How the hell could she just walk away without discussion? Without at least attempting to work it out with him? He understood that Elena was basically a child for all intents and purposes, but damn it, you didn't do that to someone. She had agonized over hurting her Matt months after they were separated and could walk away from Damon, someone she claimed to love, without a backward glance? _

_ He noticed Ric, in the driver seat, eyeing him warily. He smelled Damon's aggression again. Damon forced himself to nod at Ric, they were cool._

_ "You know, there might be more to what happened back there than meets the eye." Ric was saying quietly. The first time he had ventured to speak to Damon in a couple of hours. _

_ Damon turned and raised an eyebrow. "It didn't meet my eyes at all. I was blinded, remember? But I know what I heard. She planned to leave with him. She called him at two AM. She left my bed to call him to her. What more is there to say?" He managed to say the words calmly. Pain leaked out around them, but he wasn't even aware._

_ From the seat behind Ric, Bonnie heard and couldn't stay quiet any longer. "Damon, part of that I can explain. Elena left your bed because I came knocking about something important. While we were talking she thought she might've worked out why she was still up and walking around. She called and left a voicemail for Elijah asking him to call her back. She was pretty excited and forgot what time it was. She said it was just a theory, but she thought he could confirm if she was right."_

A large hand reached around behind Ric and caressed Bonnie's calf lightly because that was all he could reach. His eyes, meeting hers in the rear view mirror, thanked her for speaking up and helping bring some measure of comfort to his friend.

_Damon chewed on that for the rest of the ride._


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

The group pulled the SUV into the Salvatore driveway. Damon opened the door and stepped out headed toward the back to help Ric and Stefan unload luggage. He had pushed aside all things Elena in his mind and would deal with that later.

He never saw the dark haired arrow aimed right at him.

_He looked up at a sound and found himself pinned to the ground, knocked off balance by an attack from out of nowhere._

Elena sat on his chest, giggling. At the surprise on his face, she kissed him soundly, pinning his shoulders with her small hands and light weight. Stefan and Ric looked on laughing at the human appearing to overpower the vampire, even in fun. The tension in the car had been miserable the entire ride home. Both agreed with a glance that those two would be alright. Walking around them, the guys went back to unloading the SUV.

_Damon's hands had found their way into her hair and he was trying not to hurt her, but needing her closer than this was providing. The ache in his chest was still there, but if he got closer, held her better, maybe it would ease. _

Her hands ran through his hair, toward the back she felt something strange and opened her eyes. Oh. My. God. It was dried blood in his hair.

"Oh God, Damon. I was so scared for you. Are you okay now?" She asked between kisses. "I'm so sorry that happened. I only intended to ask questions, never to see anyone while I looked like this. I'm sorry." Every word was a kiss, across his cheeks, his face, his neck, his shoulder each coming in quick succession. _The ache finally eased a bit._

He flattened her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her while they lay there, on the grass for all the world to see. "I thought….." it was all he could get out.

"I can only image. I was drawing him away, but I really did need to talk with him, ask questions. Again, I'm so sorry I couldn't explain. It all happened so fast. She was back to kissing him again, wrapped against his body. "I love you. You are my world, Damon." 

"You aren't afraid of me?" He had sensed it somehow before, her fear. But he didn't sense it anymore.

Lying on him, there in the grass, she ran a hand along his stubbled face and smiled. "Terrified." _The ache evaporated like mist in the light of a warm morning sun._

"I've never known anyone that can tear away at me like you can, Elena." He pressed his face up, against her neck.

"I'm sorry, my love. I can only say I'm sorry. It wasn't intended that I hurt you. I swear. All I could think was getting you and Ric out of danger. I knew I would be safe, but I was afraid for you both. You should know that I wouldn't just walk away from you that way, Damon." She sat up on his chest again, straddling him still. "How can I make you believe that I love you and that you can trust me?"

"You being here goes a long way, Elena."

She stood up and took his hand as he got up too. "I want to try something. Will you bear with me for a minute?"

"That depends. Does it involve pain? Because I've had plenty of that today, thank you very much." He was laughing at her.

"No pain, I promise." She slid off her ring and gave it to him. "Put that in your pocket for me for a sec, will ya?"

He looked at her like she was crazy, but shrugged and did as she asked. Then she stepped in close and said "Give me a minute, okay? Don't interrupt, please." She touched his face and her eyes went wide and blind.

He thought of himself as Icarus and her as his sun. He loved her, his primary motivation was to keep her with him, his, for as long as he could. He didn't expect it to be long. He didn't deserve her and never would. She was light to his darkness. He was a tormented killer and she was the balm for his soul. He was certain she would be the death of him, as the sun had melted Icarus' wings, but he would die then loving her. She had saved him from himself and he had nothing at all to offer her in return but empty hands. Why would she ever stay with him?

_Elena's eyes were still wide and unseeing as tears began to stream down her cheeks. She didn't blink so they just ran down the outside corners of both eyes. She had asked him not to interrupt, but she was upset and he wanted to shake her out of whatever trance she was in, but he kept silent until she was seeing him again._

She was sobbing. The only way to convince him would be the bond.

"Damon, a spell has been on both of us from the beginning. Bonnie's spell. It had two parts. Elijah didn't remove all of it. That was the questions I had for him. The spell provides insight into one another. Motivations. Up until now, I have had my ring on and not been affected. And I think things have leaked out to you, but you still don't see me clearly. Will you trust me for just a minute?"

He could see this was important to her, even if he didn't understand a word she was saying. They sat on the steps of his home and tried to understand what she wanted.

"I want for you to look at me, but then allow your eyes to slip out of focus. It will give you a chance to see what motivates me, what my reasoning is. See me clearly."

"But I already see you, Elena."

"But this will give you insight you don't already have, Damon. Please."

_He felt silly as he tried to do what she asked, but then, she reached out, took his hand and placed it across her heart._

_And he saw._

_She was his Persephone, willing to venture into the darkness to be with him. She understood little, really, about his world, but would walk away from her own to be with him. A fierce and mighty thing beat in her chest. She loved him with the same fierceness that punctuated all that she did, all that she loved. She needed him as he needed her. _

_For the first time, he understood that her flinging her body into the fray between him and Ric had been motivated by her attempt to save him pain. She knew if he hurt Ric in a fit of anger, it would hurt him and she was trying to protect him. _

_She saw him clearly, and loved all of him, even the darkness. She didn't seek to destroy that darkness, but rather to adjust, as Persephone did, and contribute some light to it. Her goal was not to change him, only to bring him comfort. Because she believed that although he had been a very bad man, that it troubled him, and she was right. He also saw that she had loved him without any magical influence, just seeing him clearly as no one else ever had. She was the first that had ever bothered to look below the surface. _

_He also saw and understood her pain when she believed that this spell had been the only thing making him love her. This was the reason for her withdrawal from him before. That and that he had frightened her by killing those hunters so brutally. But the fear was gone, somehow. _

_Damon also had tears leaking around the edges of us his unseeing eyes. When he blinked and saw her again, she was in his arms._

"_Do you see now?" And he was kissing her, this time making love to her mouth with a tender wonder that made her eyes leak again. "When I say that I love you, the words don't express the extent of what my heart feels. I am young. I don't see the future, but I don't want to face a single day without your face in it." She shrugged. "I love you."_

"_Elena."_

"_Yes, Damon."_

"_Can you stop talking now?" He had other plans for her lips and tongue._

"_Yes sir. For now."_

**Author's note: Yes, I've left Elijah all alone, for now. It makes my chest ache a bit to think about it, honestly, but he is strong and patient in ways that I will never be. And he gets his chance,( in Amends, Leaving and Dying to Live all fan fiction of mine on this site). Thank you for taking this journey with all of us. Thank you for your comments when you've left them. I allowed some of them to influence the direction of the story, certainly. The love between them has a life all its own. I anticipate that, between the lines for Damon and Elena there will be a great deal of fighting, fussing and lovemaking as these two grow together. The bond, along with the insight provided by a certain ancient vampire, will keep them honest with one another and resolve a great many of their conflicts. Lucky Elena.**


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